Enemy Of My Enemy
by dragonbreath88
Summary: Two Assassins get caught up in a war between the Autobots and the Decepticons while visiting family in Jasper, Nevada. Rating might change but right now it's rated T.
1. Prologue

Dancing with Death (Prologue)

They were playing a dangerous game, taking an even dangerous risk.

Taking on an entire enemy fortress by themselves, fighting through the multiple enemies to get to one potential target was nothing new. They had been trained in the art of death, and so, throughout their lives, have danced with death as a result.

She could see her brother in her peripheral, not willing to take her eyes off her opponent for that one moment. For even just one second's distraction could mean doom for the both of them.

Her brother was doing excellent, as always, slicing and dicing through the waves upon waves of enemies that came at him as though a snake, weaving through the ins and outs of its shaded burrow. It was slow, exhaustive work, but eventually they sent their enemies scurrying. No one challenged them as they went deeper and deeper into the fortress. Her eyes scanned the darkness, keeping an eye out for an ambush. The two cloaked figures knew that their dance with Death would catch up with them at some point. They just didn't know when.

They stepped into a hidden room, the darkness keeping everything hidden from view. As she was about to turn around, the door slammed shut, cutting off the little bit of light they had. Then, somewhere from above, a light exploded into view, momentarily blinding them. While they worked to clear the spots out of their grey eyes, a voice permeated the room.

"Welcome Assassins!" The voice greeted with false hospitableness. He was silhouetted by the light that shown behind them, keeping his face a mystery.

There was no telling who he was. Just another member in the Templar Order to take down.

However, before they could do anything, soldier arrived, appearing on the catwalk above them, their weapons locked, loaded and pointing right at them.

The proverbial music had stopped.

Their dance with Death seemed over.  
,

 **A/N: Hey guys! So, I'm posting this prologue because I don't want to end up trashing a good story. I'm not going to post the rest of the story until around December as I am busy with finishing up the rest of the semester. But if this gets a good feedback, I'll try to post it sooner. Also, this is formatted similarly to Oliver Bowden's Assassin's Creed novels, which is how I was introduced to the Assassin's Creed fandom. If I put any misinformation in here regarding the AC universe, please let me know! Hope you guys enjoyed the prologue!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Twenty-nine-year-old Assassin Maya Everton sighed from inside her helmet as the desert stretched out before her. Outcroppings dotted the sparse land, with the occasional town or house interspersed between the giant rock formations. The road was just as desolate and abandoned as the surrounding desert, with the occasional minivan, motorcyclist or eighteen-wheeler passing by. All and all, Maya and her older brother, Eric, had the road all to themselves.

And it was a good thing too. The last thing they needed were witnesses that placed them at the site of a soon-to-be ex-factory.

Their mission: liberate a Piece of Eden.

It was a typical mission for Maya and her brother Eric. In fact, it was their Order's, the Brotherhood of the Assassins, sole purpose. The Pieces of Eden were several powerful weapons created by an ancient race, known simple as the Isu, The Ones Who Came Before, or even The First Civilization. Not many knew of these ancient people, as they were all wiped out by a major solar flare, eradicating their cities and race from the face of the earth. The only ones that knew of Those Who Came Before are the Brotherhood of the Assassins and their long-time enemy, the Templar Order, and even then, both orders' knowledge of the First Civilization was superficial at best.

That's where the Pieces of Eden came in.

They were artefacts left behind by Those Who Came Before. There were multiple artefacts in fact, including several Apples of Eden, which were multiple orbs that held different types of power. And those Pieces of Eden that the Assassins and the Templars were fighting over were the ones that they knew about. As far as the two orders were concerned, there could be more Pieces of Eden and Precursor sights/items that have yet to be found.

But the ones that have been found had been fought over for centuries.

And this is where Maya and Eric came in. Their family had been in the Assassin Brotherhood for centuries, starting in London during the early 1600s. When the first settlements had been made in America, it was their ancestors who had established the first American Brotherhood, though they were mainly stationed in Europe during the American Revolution. The siblings' parents were Assassins, their father on the council and their mother one of the best marksmen in the Brotherhood. However, recently, the siblings' mother was cut down during a raid by the Templars on one of the hideouts and their father has been missing for over six months.

It was then they volunteered for field work, to hunt down the Pieces of Eden in North America and to finally cut the country free of the infection that is the Templar Order.

As for their current mission, Eric had intercepted a message from a base in the Nevada desert that clearly stated that a Piece of Eden was being transported to some underground Templar base in Las Vegas. And since a Piece of Eden was mentioned explicitly in the message, the mission went straight to the top of their Priority List. So, they spoke to a relative in the state and asked her if they could stay with her and her son for a while after the two siblings took out the factory, since the Templars would no doubt raise the alarm when the factory goes up in flame and the Piece of Eden goes missing. Of course, their Aunt and cousin didn't know about Maya's and Eric's part in the Assassins, since their mom kept it a secret from her sister.

And neither sibling had the courage to draw their mild manner relatives into this bloody war.

Maya tilted her body and motorcycle into a particularly sharp turn, the sun starting to dip towards the horizon.

 _Have we really been riding all day?_ Maya thought to herself, eyeing the sun really quick before returning her gaze to the road. _If we can make it to the factory around nightfall, we can easily sneak in. Not the most ideal situation, considering we haven't staked out the place at all, but we've worked with less information before._

From inside her helmet, she narrowed her eyes, the horizon empty. There hadn't been too many cars on the road, since this stretch of the interstate wasn't particularly a favorite travel route as there weren't any gas stations or roadside stops for miles. Most just took a longer, but more populated route. This was good for Maya and Eric, as they didn't want too many people point them out if an investigation was done in regards the multiple dead bodies that would be discovered. It was one of the tenants of the Assassin's Creed.

 _Remain hidden in plain sight._

Up ahead, Eric slowed down, forcing Maya to do the same. The two pulled over into the dirt, parking their bikes and taking off their helmet. Maya's half-shaven hair was all but matted to her skull, heavy with sweat. But she didn't mind. Eric's hair, considerably longer, was a wet, sweat-soaked mess. He pulled at the ponytail that held his hair out of his face. Maya winced as Eric shook his head, sweat flying out of the strands towards her. But Eric didn't notice her disgusting wince as he brushed his hair back with his fingers and retied it back.

"Okay, so where are we exactly?" Maya asked her brother as she scanned the horizon. Eric, in response to the question, pulled out a worn-out map of Nevada. When he unfolded it all the way, both siblings leaned over the map and studied it closely, Maya's finger moving along the dotted line towards a red 'X'.

"Looks like we're almost there." Eric muttered to himself as he followed his sister's finger.

"If we push it, we can make the factory in twenty minutes. And if all goes well, we'll be in Jasper at around midnight." Maya stated. There was a tone of cautious hope, as their missions very rarely went well. But hopefully, Lady Luck would be on their side this time around.

"Okay." Eric said. He quickly and carefully folded the map before placing it back into his bag strapped to his motorcycle. The man straddled his bike, as did Maya, and after placing their helmets back on their head their engines roaring along the dead interstate. "Let's ride."

They returned to their tense silent as they grew closer and closer to the factory. Maya mentally prepared herself for the mission, feeling as though she and her brother were dancing with death. It was the same dance that all the other Assassins did. They all knew the risks of being in this long, secret, bloody war.

But now?

Maya had felt a certain weight on her soul. A certain darkness that engulfed her. Normally, she tried to have an optimistic (but realistic) view on any missions that she or her brother would do. Now, however, as the sun set and the factory came into view, a dark spot on the darkening horizon, Maya felt the sense of doom weigh on her heavily.

She followed her brother, slowing down their motorcycles and pulling them off to the side. They removed their helmets and pulled up their cowls up over their head, as well as strapping their hidden blades to their wrist. While the robes and the Hidden Blades were typical equipment of an Assassin, Maya and Eric had added to their outfit a mouth covering that kept their identity a secret. It was a tricky thing, keeping their identity a secret, especially in this day and age of technology as the Templars would monitor suspected Assassin broadcasts and gather the names of those mentioned. So far, the two had been able to keep their real name a secret, simply going by Sister and Brother respectively in any broadcast to the Brotherhood Council and Mentor. But they knew it wouldn't last for long.

After pulling their cowls over their head and placing their blades on their wrists, the two stashed their bikes out of sight, but in a position where they could reach them if and when they needed a quick escape. They then started to make their way towards the factory, using the stretched shadows of the factory buildings to move about.

They were like wraiths: silent, unseen and followed by Death like a loyal hound at their heels.

Maya could feel the proverbial music reach its peak as they entered the factory grounds proper. The dance was reaching its climax. This mission would have two outcomes: either the twins would give Death his fill of blood and soul, or Death would claim the twins instead. And the first three minutes of any mission would decide how it went from there on.

From the moment Maya and Eric stepped foot over the threshold inside the factory, they were attacked. At every room and level, the two were beset by a handful or more Templar foot soldiers. They either rushed them, shouting at the top of their lungs, or attempting to ambushing them.

They were playing a dangerous game, taking an even more dangerous risk.

Taking on an entire enemy fortress by themselves, fighting through the multiple enemies to get to one potential target was nothing new. They had been trained in the art of death, and so, throughout their lives, have danced with death as a result.

She could see her brother in her peripheral, not willing to take her eyes off her opponent for that one moment. For even just one second's distraction could mean doom for the both of them.

Her brother was doing excellent, as always, slicing and dicing through the waves upon waves of enemies that came at him as though a snake, weaving through the ins and outs of its shaded burrow. It was slow, exhaustive work, but eventually they sent their enemies scurrying. No one challenged them as they went deeper and deeper into the fortress. Her eyes scanned the darkness, keeping an eye out for an ambush. The two cloaked figures knew that their dance with Death would catch up with them at some point. They just didn't know when.

They stepped into a hidden room, the darkness keeping everything hidden from view. As she was about to turn around, the door slammed shut, cutting off the little bit of light they had Then, somewhere from above, a light exploded into view, momentarily blinding them. While they worked to clear the spots out of their grey eyes, a voice permeated the room.

"Welcome Assassins!" a voice greeted with false hospitableness. He was silhouetted by the light that shown behind them, keeping his face a mystery.

There was no telling who he was. Just another member in the Templar Order to take down.

However, before they could do anything, solider arrived, appearing on the catwalk above them, their weapons locked, loaded and pointing right at them.

The proverbial music had stopped.

Their dance with Death seemed over.

But Maya and Eric weren't quite done. They still had some tricks up their sleeve.

Right as the soldiers opened fire, raining a hail of bullets on them, the two dived behind a steel wall several feet thick. Even though the wall was thick enough to stop bullets, both recoiled at the loud pinging sound made by the bullets bouncing off the wall. When the hail of bullets seemed to stop, and the mechanical clicking sound of the guns reloading echoed, Maya and Eric took it as their opportunity. Maya gave the signal (a two-fingered salute) before they both raced out from their hiding spot. While the giant lights put them at a serious disadvantage, it also created a couple of small advantages: massive shadows where they could hide as they dodged their way to the platform. They waited in intervals of three seconds, moving like wraiths or like the heralds of Death that they were.

Maya had just ducked behind a stack of crates, bullets singing around her. Eric gazed out towards her from where he was, kneeling behind a couple of crates. She waited there for a moment, her breathing not even heavy. It was her mind that was racing out of control.

It was so obviously a Templar trap, to lure in unwitting Assassins to their doom by way of the Piece of Eden. And Maya was too into envisioning herself holding a relic from before the dawn of time that she had let the possibility of a trap slip past her. In doing so, she had put her brother and the Brotherhood at risk.

 _This is no time for self-pity,_ she reminded herself as she tensed in preparation of another, and the final, leap. _Focus on the mission. One…. two…. three!_

Like the other five times, the hail of bullets seemed to cease and Maya and Eric took their advantage to a whole new level. With a leap that seemed as graceful as a leopard pouncing onto its prey, the two managed to climb the wall to the platform that held the gunmen. From the way the stoic masked men reacted to them, Maya could only imagine that she and her brother looked like demons crawling out of hell to capture their souls.

Despite herself, she smiled.

About halfway up, the soldiers who were only recently stoic in their shooting, were starting to panic. The unknown Templar man screamed (more like squealed), ordering the men to stand their ground.

By the time Maya and Eric had reached the platform, of the estimate thirty-five men that had originally attacked them, there were at least ten that remained. The two Assassins, one at each end of the platform, stood tense. Then, almost as one, they flicked their wrists. The slow _snick_ sound as the blade slid out almost echoed in the quiet factory.

The first brave soldier to make his move resumed the fighting.

The rest of the ten guards either quickly fell to the Hidden Blade of Maya and Eric or leapt over the railing, leaving only the unknown Templar. Now that Maya could see his face in greater detail, she sort of recognized him. The man was a middle-level Templar by the name of Axel Montgomery. He owned several factories that the Templar scientists used in order to test any weapons they had and were planning on using against the Assassins. He was also a Master of Torture, having killed those Assassins who refused to talk and tell them any sort of information and had died as a result. So, Maya felt ready to avenge her brothers and sisters that died at his hand.

He looked as cowardly as the reports described him. A fat blob that had a receding hairline and profusely sweating.

 _This is the guy who had spread fear throughout the Brotherhood,_ Maya thought with both shame and disgust. _This is the guy known only as the Butcher._

"Pl-please." The blob begged as he fell to his knees. All that bravado was gone, instead it was replaced with cowardice. "I can give you any information! Anything you want about the Templars! If you just let me go!"

Maya felt her hate for this man rise exponentially. "You have tortured and killed no less than fifty Assassins who refused to compromise the Brotherhood. You will not receive any mercy from us."

The man started to quake.

"But," her voice caused him to tense, a light of hope to shine. "You can tell us where the Apple of Eden is."

Fear returned, but the man started to laugh. It was a nervous, throaty chuckle that had Maya curling her fist in anger.

"There is no Apple of Eden to be found here."

Maya didn't allow him to say another word. She blinked and the next thing that she knew was she was watching coldly as blood spewed from his neck and onto the floor. She stepped back to avoid getting blood on her good boots. When the death throes finally quieted and the warehouse became as quiet as a mausoleum, the siblings searched the place from top to bottom to make sure that what the dead man had said was true.

And he was.

It became clearer to Maya and Eric as they continued their search into the warehouse that the transmission sent out was a phony one, used to trap Assassins. They found a multitude of skeletons, all dressed in modern day robes, but all wearing a Hidden Blade. Maya searched the nearest skeleton with as much respect as she could in order to find an ID. About half of them had some type of identification on them, whether it be a driver's license or a letter detailing who they were and why they were here. For those that had the latter, the letters were written in small words, crammed to the point where it was difficult to ascertain where one sentence ended and another began. And they were written in the Assassin code, but Maya had studied and memorized all the code books so it wasn't difficult to read the letters.

She knew about half of the skeletons that were laying on the floor. Some had been instructors in some way or another to her and her brother during their years of training. Maya sat forlornly in the room with the skeletons, thinking about the time all of these people had gone mission, the time when the Council had not sent a search party out for them.

" _Requiescat in pace_ , friends." She muttered. They deserved better. They deserved a burial, a mention in the books of Assassin history, but that was all Maya had time for and could do at the moment.

"SISTER!" Eric's voice cut through her slight mourning. Maya sighed as she stood and dusted off her pants. Time for her and her brother to continue. When they met up outside the room, they started to talk about what their next move was. "What do you think we should do now? There's no sign of the Piece of Eden."

"Which means that Axel Montgomery was telling the truth." Maya was so infuriated by how easily duped she and her brother had been but she found the bright side being that no more Assassins could fall into the trap laid by the Templars. She exhaled through her nose, dispelling all of the darkness that seemed to suddenly cloud her at that moment. "Come on, Brother. We still have a way to go before we reach our final destination."

Together they made their way towards the way they came but Maya stopped mid step when she realized that someone left a light on in an office. Curiosity had her drawn there, almost magnetically, as there could've been something interesting waiting for them, or a treasure chest of information that might give them a peek into what the Templars might have planned in the grand scheme of things. With a glance back, Maya turned way from the set path and made her way to the office. It was a rather small and cramped office, but organized so neatly, there wasn't a single speck of dust anywhere. She was surprised when she opened up a file cabinet and found everything organized by alphabet.

And in the 'A' section, in a folder labeled 'Assassins' (Maya was taken aback slightly at the lack of security), was an ancient vellum page with strange writing. The page was really well preserved, although Maya had some fear that the page would dissolve into dust at the slightest touch. But really drew her attention was pulled to a slight doodle squeezed in the upper left-hand corner.

It was the Assassins symbol, but an ancient version used during the early days of the Brotherhood. Regardless of the date of the symbol, the mission here apparently wasn't a total lost, as the siblings had found and recovered an original page of the Codex!

Which told Maya that the Templars were starting a recovery of the lost pages. That made things difficult since the Codex page was split up over the course of the centuries. There was no telling where they were at the moment. Maya knew for certain that the current Grand Master of the Templar Order had a full copy of the Codex, but it wasn't anything compared to the real thing. The one written in the hand of one of the greatest Assassins: Altair Ibn-La'Ahad.

"Sister?" Eric's voice had startled Maya, almost to the point where she reengaged her Hidden Blade and moved to slice his neck off. But she managed to keep her instincts in tact for that one second to steel herself and save her brother from an initial decapitation. "What did you find?" She showed her brother the original Codex page. "Are you sure it's the real thing? The Templars could've forged it."

"Not this well." Maya declared, shaking her head. "If it is a forgery, then it's a very expensive forgery. But from what I can tell, this is genuine page from the 12th century Codex, although I'll need to run a couple of tests to make sure. But I'm pretty certain this is the genuine article. Anyway, we should get going. I saw a twenty-four-hour truck stop/diner on the map earlier. We should stop there to refuel, shower, eat something and rest up before we finish the rest of the journey. I want to make it to Jasper before noon tomorrow."

Eric nodded, and Maya could see bags underneath his eyes. She assumed she looked worse so that shower would feel the best. Again, the two made their way towards the exit, entering the cool night air. Maya didn't make it a habit of checking her clock after a late-night mission as she could trick herself into keeping going. But she had to know how late it was, since they had to estimate how fast they had to drive. She all but sagged when she saw the clock read twelve-thirty. Normally, Maya would've finished her studies and any planning she needed done and in the bed by ten-thirty.

"You okay there, Maya?" Eric asked as they approached their bikes. He had removed his hood and had placed his shoulder-length hair in a low ponytail. Maya had done the same but her shoulders sagged and she drug her feet through the dirt. She was the epitome of exhaustion.

"Yeah." She whispered. Maya rubbed her face tiredly. "Just tired."

"Hang in there a little longer, sis. We'll be at the diner in no time."

Maya gave her brother a small smile, feeling reenergized by his words, only slightly. She straightened her back and forced her eyes back open as they closed the distance between their motorcycles. If they could make it to the diner, have a couple of hours to themselves and fill up on food, and basically speed, they could make it to Jasper by ten-thirty maybe eleven. Maya carefully rolled the Codex page up and placed it in a special water-proof, vacuum-sealed holder, no bigger than half a foot. After she placed the tube in her duffle bag, she straddled her bike and started it, just as her brother revved his. The two siblings gave each other one look before they sped forward.

The road was still as desolate as before, the stars giving the twins light along with their headlights. It was kind of soothing, with the moon looking down on them. At one point, a car was approaching their rear. Several cars, in fact. Maya glanced behind her, surprised to see what looked like an convoy. There was one car at the head, which Maya guessed was a black and yellow Urbana 500, with what looked like an all-terrain Lamborghini, and a striped sports car. Behind them, Maya could see two darkly colored cars following the three colored cars closely, closing the distance between them. Maya hit the gas, leveling out with her brother.

Using one hand, Maya opened up the comm that was built inside her helmet. _"What do think that's about?"_

Eric glanced behind him. The light of the vehicles' headlights reflected off the visor for a split second, giving a quick view into the inside of the helmet. For a second, Eric stared back before returning his gaze forward.

 _"Don't know. I think we should allow them to pass."_

Maya nodded. She sped up to where she was in front of Eric. She and Eric hugged the side of the road as much as they could and long enough to allow the cars behind them to pass. They both winced as the cars all but flew past them, the purple and black cars almost shoving them off the road.

 _Jerks,_ Maya huffingly thought as she resumed her side-by-side position next to Eric. Again, the two resumed to their silent riding. Several times, both siblings swerved around each other in order to stay awake.

After what seemed like forever, the diner appeared. A thankful sight for Maya, who's bladder was about to burst. That and their motorcycles was almost empty of gas. They pulled into the station, where Eric started to fill both of them, while Maya went to reserve a place in the showers and get some food in the diner. She managed to get thirty minutes in the showers each, which they were both thankful for regardless. Maya felt absolutely changed after the shower, scrubbing the dirt, grime, and sweat of the ride the day before. She sighed contently as she stepped out and started to towel off. After slipping on a new set of clothes, she stepped out, with Eric already waiting at the door.

"Your turn." Maya quipped as she tossed the shampoo. Eric smirked as she easily caught it.

"I can't wait to get a shower." Eric sighed as Maya started to walk away. The woman snorted, turning around, waving the air around her as if she smelled something horrible.

"You need it bro. Whoo!"

"Ha ha ha." Eric laughed sarcastically.

Maya left her brother and made her way towards the diner where she ordered two plates of bacon, pancakes and scrambled eggs. The waitress brought their food out right as Eric appeared, looking clean and refreshed from his shower. Both siblings sat down, said their prayers and started to dig in. They spoke silently about their mission, even though there wasn't really anyone in the diner. Maya figured that the Templars were planning something since they were hunting for the original Codex pages (which were scattered and separated near the end of the Renaissance), but why would they now start to collect them, neither of them knew at that time.

The siblings ate their breakfast slowly, not wanting to rush anything. Maya kept her eyes on the door, as if anticipating the fact that a Templar army was going to burst into the diner and shoot up the place. But nothing happened. It was around five-thirty when the two left, full, happy and more than a little exhausted. But Jasper was only an hour away, and since it was a Saturday, Maya doubted the fact that there would be very many people out.

However, it did beg the question of how they were going to get in to their Aunt's house. As far as Maya or Eric were concerned, their aunt was working and their cousin had a social life, like most teens, so he wouldn't be home. Of course, their younger cousin wasn't exactly the social butterfly like most teens. So, it would be a fifty-fifty chance that the two would get there and no one would be there.

Of course, as the town was less than twenty-five minutes away, Maya received a call. She answered the call, putting both hands back on the handlebars as there was a really tight turn coming up.

"Hello?"

 _"Maya! What's up? I was just calling to check where you and Eric were."_ It was her cousin. Maya smiled from inside her helmet. She hadn't seen her cousin or aunt in years as the Assassins came first and their mother wanted to keep her sister out of the conflict.

"Not much, cousin. Eric and I are about fifteen miles outside of Jasper." Maya informed him. "Is Auntie working today? What about you?"

 _"Mom's got the day off. I'm thinking about heading over to a friend's house to hang out. But if you want, we can wait here until you and Eric can get here."_

"If you have to be somewhere, then you can head out. I mean, we've be pushing it all night, so as soon as we get to the house, we're going to crash for a while."

 _"Oh okay. I guess I'll see you at supper then?"_

"You bet." Maya sighed tiredly to herself. "Okay. See ya soon."

Almost as soon as the call was canceled, Eric opened up a com. _"Who was that?"_

 _"It was Jack. He was calling to see where we were."_ Maya answered as she leveled out with Eric. There was silence for about a few minutes before Eric spoke again.

 _"We're being followed."_

Maya nodded in agreement. She had noticed the two cars following them for the past three minutes. Of course, there was no way of knowing who they were or if they were the same cars that were chasing the other vehicles several miles back. Maya glanced down at her mirrors, noting that they were indeed the same two cars. Either that or there was a gang in the vicinity that required matching cars, right down to the paint color and decal. There was another one though, a bright red mustang or Ferrari (Maya couldn't really tell), leading the duo.

 _"What do you wanna do?"_

 _"Don't know if they're hostiles or friendly. I say we keep on this course. If they do anything, then we'll work that out later."_

 _"Copy that."_

The two didn't dare speed up, just keeping up the pace. Eventually, the three cars behind them got bored, speeding up past them. The sun had been on the rise, leaving the sky with strips of pink and orange. Maya sighed as she returned her attention to the road, where on the horizon, the town of Jasper was coming into view. From what their mom had told them from her correspondence with their aunt, Jasper was a calm and sleepy little town that had nothing happening. And the only exciting thing that apparently happened in at last five years was a cat got stuck in the sewers. So, it there was a very rare chance that the Templars would be here or find them. As long as they laid low.

Which would be rather easy considering the town.

Maya and Eric turned as one into the driveway after another ten minutes of driving through the suburbs. Nothing had changed, of course so the two of them sighed as they activated their kickstands and initiated the alarm system. Maya and Eric slung their bags over their shoulder and tiredly made their way towards the house. Eric was the one who knocked on the door, however he only got two knocks in before the door swung open and their Aunt greeted them with a smiling face.

"Maya! Eric! I thought I recognized those motorcycles!" June Darby exclaimed as she crushed the two in a hug.

"Aunt June, how are you?" Maya asked with as much energy as she could muster up. Eric, on the other hand, looked like he was about to fall flat on his face. June noticed that both siblings looked tired to the bone, so she immediately directed them to the guest bed room where to beds were already made up.

"Get some sleep you two. When you get up, I'll fix you something to eat." June said, leaving them both to collapse tiredly on their bed.

"Do you think we'll get the rest we need and deserve?" Eric asked Maya, who was well on her way to dreamland.

"Mmmmm, with our luck…. probably not."

And with that thought, the twins fell off into sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: First off, disclaimer. Everyone, aside from OCs, belong to their respective owners. Reviews are welcomed. Flames will be used to make smores!**

 _"Comm/phone."_

Text messages

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

 **"Bumblebee speak."**

Chapter 2 

Eric was the first one awake later that evening.

He felt well-rested and energized as he sat up and stretched. He never felt as well-rested and energized in a long time, what with Assassin duties taking up most of his time. And he and his sister would sleep wherever they were and whenever the opportunity presented itself, giving them a pretty irregular sleeping schedule. But at that moment…

Eric threw his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck sleepily and taking everything in. He, as well as his still-asleep sister, were in the guest bedroom in their Aunt's house. Eric didn't think he said a word to his aunt when he first walked in earlier that morning. But now he was rested up and ready to engage in conversation.

He tiptoed out of the room quietly, as to not disturb Maya. She had been pushing herself since their mom died. They were as close as a mother and daughter could get. It was hard on all of them when Julia passed away in the Templar raid, but Maya got hit the most. She spent the next five months doing as much damage to the Templars across the nation and the world as she could. Eric spent those five months alone, as their father disappeared mysteriously after the raid. No one on the council knew where he was. So, Eric spent five months grieving until his sister suddenly returned and proposed a mission.

And the rest was history.

Eric softly closed the door as he entered the hallway. It was dark, except for the bright light at the end of the hallway, which indicated that the television was on in the family room. He poked his head around the corner and saw Aunt June lounging on the couch, looking tired and frazzled. When she noticed Eric standing there, she jumped up with a tired smile on her face.

"Eric! How did you sleep, hon?" Aunt June asked as she smothered him in a hug.

"Really good." Eric stated as the two separated. "Maya's still asleep though. She's been rather exhausted lately and pushing herself hard."

June's face fell sadly as she remembered her sister's funeral. The story was that Eric's and Maya's mother died during drive-by shooting. It hurt the siblings to have to lie to their aunt about the death of their mother, but neither wanted their aunt to know what her sister was really involved in. While the story of her death had been fabricated, Eric believed it helped the grieving process for June. Of course, he knew that Maya wished the lie to be true, as she had to live with the fact that if she hadn't stormed off after a fight mere minutes before the raid, she would've been there to help. He truly believed that he had finished the grieving process, but the fact that Maya was dead set on destroying the centuries-long Templar hold on the North American continent was a sign that she might not be done.

"Would you like something to eat?" June asked, moving to the kitchen. Eric followed, sitting down at the table and absently playing with the table cloth.

"Sure." The man answered with a shrug. His grey eyes scanned the room, feeling as though something was off. Then, it hit him. "Where's Jack?"

For a moment, June froze, as if she had been caught taking a cookie from the cookie jar before supper. If Eric hadn't been trained in the art of combat and forced to notice these things, he might've missed it. But he hadn't and had him wondering.

"So, what've you and Maya been up to since that last time I saw you?" Aunt June didn't really have a penchant for subtle subject changes but Eric allowed it to slip by, since he wasn't in the mood for drilling his aunt.

So, instead, he just shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Not much. Maya's been traveling a lot for her job, and I've been working as a full-time bartender, which isn't too bad."

June nodded her head from where she was starting to chop up some fresh vegetables to fry. Eric's mouth started to water at the very thought of June's stir-fried vegetables with chicken.

"What about Jim? How's he doing?"

Eric sighed, feeling the broached subject hit home. Jim was Eric and Maya's father who was on the Brotherhood council. Unfortunately, after their mother's death, he and the members except for Mentor Miles, vanished. No one knew if the council was all killed as well, or if they were kidnapped by Templars or some other high-ranking gang.

"Don't know." Eric simply answered. "After mom died, he went missing. Haven't heard a word from him sense."

Over her shoulder, June sent a worried look. "You don't think that he's dead, do you?'

"Don't know. Not much we can do though, except hope. Maya wants to hire a PI but that's just spending money we don't have at the moment."

"I'm sorry, Eric. If I'd known you two were by yourselves, I would've done something."

Eric cracked a smirk. His aunt was really nice; almost too nice for her own good. But she was family. And that was the only thing keeping the human race alive. "Don't worry about it, Auntie. Maya and I are able to take care of ourselves. Besides, its not unlike father to up and leave and not tell anyone where he goes."

June gave him a smile as she set out a plate for Eric, along with utensils. Eric licked his lips eagerly as he dug in. The food was absolutely delicious, as always. There were some spices that he tasted that he recognized. He remembered when he and Maya went to India to talk to some of the Assassins there, and as a souvenir, he sent some spices to June. The man guessed that was what she used in the meal. Eric didn't realize how fast he was eating until he was halfway done and his stomach started to cramp a little. He gave his aunt a grimace as he slowed down. Since the silence was only punctuated by the clanging of the fork on the plate, and the sounds of the television, Eric decided to ask a question.

"So, where's Jack at?" Eric asked as he shoveled a forkful of veggies into his mouth. After he swallowed his food, he added, "he said something about meeting up with some friends."

"Oh. He's in a sci-fi club for school."

Eric glanced at the clock on the stove. It read 10:35 pm. "Seems a little late for a school club meeting on a Saturday, don't you think?"

June, her face screwed up in a way that made it obvious she was coming up with a lie, swiveled her head over to the garage door when both of them heard the roar of an engine. Eric stood, tensing up and sneakily placing his hand into his pocket where his switchblade rested. June just sighed in relief as she opened the door with almost as enough force to pull it off its hinges. A moment later, a frazzled Jack came through the door. The sixteen-year-old looked the same as he did when Eric last saw him.

He had the standard grey eyes and black hair that was something of a trademark of June and Julia's family. Although he was taller and a lot leaner than the last time Eric saw him, he a certain type that charisma about him that wasn't there before. He also had a strange air about him, similar to one that a leader had: confident, sure and yet, scared if he was going to lead those who followed him into a death trap.

Eric recognized that look in his father several times, especially before the massacre that took their mother. Always a fear, always a weight on their shoulders that the mission that they sanctioned would go horribly wrong and would send many people to their deaths. But it was always something his father had hidden well.

"Hey mom." Jack greeted, giving his mom a peck on the cheek before he turned to the thirty-year-old sitting at the kitchen bar. "Eric! Good to see you! How've you been?"

Eric stood and embraced the shorter boy in a hug. "Pretty good. You?"

Jack cracked a forced smile. "Good. Good." He looked around the kitchen. "So, where's Maya? I talked to her to this morning."

"Oh, she's still asleep." Eric answered as he started to put his dirty dishes up. He gave a huge yawn. "I'm going to go get a shower then head off to bed myself."

"Okay, you do that. Night Eric." Jack said as Eric disappeared down the hallway. When Eric entered the room, he noticed Maya's hair was wet and that she was wearing her pajamas. The man surmised that she got up, had a shower, and changed into her pajamas before crawling back to bed. Eric felt his heart tighten at the look of peacefulness on his sister's face. It was a look that Eric hasn't seen a whole lot of in a while. Even when she was asleep, it seemed Maya was haunted by the her failing to protect her mother. Eric diverted his attention away from his little sister when she started to stir, but after his eyes landed on the door of the bathroom, Maya sighed through her nose and fell back into dreamland.

It was almost eleven o'clock when Eric was ready for bed. He still felt absolutely exhausted, so he didn't even bother to get underneath the covers. Besides, it helped his maneuverability when he wasn't tangled underneath the comforter. Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, Eric fell asleep.

He was jerked awake around six in the morning, when the sun was just starting to come up. The house was quiet and still, which it didn't make sense since Eric was a pretty heavy sleeper. He noticed that Maya was just starting to wake up, almost as though she had noticed the sudden stillness as well. Eric sighed as he stood and made his way quietly through the house. He poked his head into the rooms, happy to see that the June and Jack were still fast asleep. But that didn't explain the stillness in the house. His heart was hammering in his chest as he lifted up the curtains ever so slightly. The streets were quiet and empty.

Except for the fact that there was a car parked right on the curb.

Eric narrowed his eyes at the car, recognizing the black and yellow car from the day before. Was that the same car that had passed him and his sister the day before? What was it doing just sitting out there?

As he watched the car, a small boy popped out of the passenger side of the car before making his way up the walkway. Eric watched the way he moved, how he acted, and how he held himself. It didn't make him paranoid, he always chided himself whenever he found himself reading people, it just made him careful. He was watching the boy so intensely, he didn't realize he had reached the door and jumped when the doorbell rang. He clutched his chest to calm his beating heart, then brushed his unruly hair back as he tried to make himself look as presentable as he could, even though he was in his pajamas.

He pulled open the door and looked down on the kid. The kid's big brown eyes, sheltered behind red framed glasses, blinked owlishly at him. It was clear that the boy became timid, and Eric probably was intimidating (even in his bugs bunny pajamas).

Tired of the silence, Eric put on as friendly an air as he could when he asked, "Hi. Can I help you?"

"Uh…" The boy's eyes flittered over to the number on the side of the house, as if confirming that he had the right house. "Is Jack here? He left something at my, um, house last night."

In his hands, he had a video game, _Call of Duty._ Eric cocked his eyebrow an inch. He remembered Aunt June saying that Jack went to the school, not to someone's house. So, there was an inconsistency in the stories. But it was too early in the morning to interrogate a kid that he didn't even know.

So, Eric just said, "Oh okay. He's actually still asleep. I'll give it to him when he wakes up."

The boy hesitantly placed the game into Eric's outstretched hand. He then gave a quick wave before running towards the car that was parked on the curb. Eric watched silently as it drove away. His eyes shot to the game in his hand. He stayed where he was, rooted in the doorframe, before he went back inside and locked the door. The man sighed as he set the game on a coffee table in the living room and heading back towards the guest room. Maya was playing on her phone, her eyes still drooping with sleepiness but she seemed alert enough.

"Hey sis," Eric greeted as he walked in. The woman's eyes flickered over to where Eric was, sorting through his suitcase for his shower things. Maya shifted, stretching out to full length and placing her phone on the nightstand.

"How'd you sleep?" She asked.

"Pretty good." Eric answered with a shrug. "You?"

She shrugged, but Eric had a feeling that she slept a lot better than she had been in recent weeks. The bags underneath her eyes seemed less intense than they used to be, and she seemed more relaxed. Though, Eric knew that wouldn't last long, especially with the mission coming up. But, he allowed her to have a few days of relaxation.

"What's the plan for today?" Maya asked as Eric prepared himself for a shower. He halted at the door of the guest bathroom, pondering. He didn't want to start the mission quite yet, as he hasn't set up his radio interceptor yet. Jasper wasn't too much of a fun place to be, but getting a feel of things would help the two when they tried to go against the Templars.

"How about we go around town and get a feel of things? It'll help a great deal whenever we have to find the Templars. Maybe we might do something with Jack."

"Mmmm, sounds pretty good." Maya muttered as she rubbed her fact into the pillow. "Go get a shower. You smell."

Eric smiled as he bit down on a snarky comment that rested on his tongue. It wouldn't be a good idea to get off with the wrong foot with his sister this early in the day. He spent at least twenty minutes in the shower. His mind was whirling with all the sort of things that he and Maya had to do in the coming days. But he hoped that at least these few days would allow Maya and him to relax before they were required to jump back into the war. Once he stepped out, he immediately started to get dry and slid into his clothes.

For that day, Eric slid on a pair of dark, baggy jeans and a tee-shirt with a skull on it. Normally, he wasn't the emo type who wore such clothes, but these were the only clean clothes he had on hand when he packed. He quickly rubbed the towel through his long hair, making a mental note that sometime soon he would need to get it cut. Long hair wasn't the best to have in hand-to-hand combat. That was probably why Maya shaved part of her head and cut the rest into a pixie cut. That or she was being rather rebellious. When Eric was done and he had tied his hair back into a low ponytail, he exited the bathroom, the steam pouring out of the room like a warm fog. Maya had sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes and her scalp tiredly.

"Okay, my turn." She unnecessarily announced. She grabbed her towel and toiletries before entering the bathroom. The door slammed shut, leaving Eric in the room. His stomach growled angrily as he made his way out of the room and towards the kitchen. When he first woke up, the house had been quiet and still. Now, it was alive with activity. The aroma of bacon and eggs wafted down the hall, leaving Eric with a watering mouth. He walked into the kitchen and found June and Jack, still in their pajamas. Aunt June was at the stove, dishing out food onto plates lined up in a buffet-like way. Jack was at the bar, scrolling through his phone. As he passed by, Eric glanced at the phone, reading as many messages as he could.

The message that Jack was looking through was a group message, between someone named _ENERGETIC ROCK MONKEY_ and _SMART BRO._ Apparently, the three of them were talking about meeting up with some people this afternoon to discuss 'a problem'. However, Jack clicked out of the messages before Eric could fully read it. The man turned his attention to the empty chair right next to his younger cousin. A moment later, Aunt June gave both a plate loaded with food. Eric didn't hesitate to dig in, but he winced when he got the bacon.

 _Of course, Aunt June uses vegan bacon,_ Eric thought as he forced himself to eat the bacon. He needed the meat. To take his mind off the fact that he was eating meatless bacon, Eric pulled out his phone and opened up the search tab. He googled 'museums near Jasper' and got ten hits. There was a museum that was only ten minutes away, that was open on Sundays. After searching the other results, Eric decided the first result was the best, as it was opened on Sundays and free. Maybe Jack would like to come with him and Maya as it would be a fun family outing. When he realized he had finished his food, including the vegan bacon, the man scrolled through the page of the museum, looking through the interesting things that the museum might offer.

"Whatcha looking at, Eric?" Jack's voice asked. But Eric wasn't listening. He had stumbled upon a once a year thing happening at the museum, starting today. Apparently, someone had found an abandoned castle in Syria, with several interesting artefacts contained within. The artefacts were going to be toured through several cities in the US before being shipped off to the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Since Maya had basically thrown herself into the history of the Assassin Brotherhood during her basic training, Eric had a feeling that she would enjoy this Syria was the place where the Brotherhood was reborn.

Eric turned to Jack and asked, point blank, "Wanna come with us to a museum?"

Jack blinked, seemingly startled by the sudden question. He glanced at his mom, who shrugged before shoving more food into her mouth.

"I…guess?" Jack finally answered. "Which museum exactly? Not many are opened on Sundays."

Eric turned his phone to where Jack could look at the screen. The man watched the sixteen-year-old's eyes move as he read the homepage. There was a bit of hesitation there, but appeared to think better of it, seeing how they hadn't seen each other in years.

"Sure, I guess." He spooned the last bit into his mouth. "I'll go and get ready. Is Maya up yet?"

Eric nodded, right as the door to the guest bedroom slammed shut and Maya swaggered into the kitchen. Just like he suspected, his sister was wearing black shorts with a silver chain belt that hung over her front, a dark grey tank top, a silver necklace that bore the Assassin's emblem, and ankle-height boots. She looked rather comfortable, but as Eric scanned her, he found that she didn't have anything that she could use to defend herself. It went against the siblings' own personal creed: always have something on your person in case you need to defend yourself. Eric was planning to wear his hidden blade underneath his jacket sleeve. But Maya wasn't wearing anything that could conceal the signature weapon of the Assassins.

"I'll be out in a minute." Jack called as he retreated down the hallway. June soon followed, saying that she needed to run some errands and mop the house. Eric had a feeling that getting Jack out of the house was something she hoped for. Almost as soon as the doors slammed shut, Maya turned to her brother.

"I know what you're thinking." She said, snatching a piece of bacon off the plate. "And don't worry. I have my trusty pocket knife."

She patted her front left pocket. Eric raised his eyebrows. "Will that be enough for you? You were never one for hand-to-hand combat."

"I seemed to do okay last night."

That was true. While Maya did most of the planning and strategies, Eric was the fighting expert. Although where Eric had strengths in hand-to-hand combat, he was a terrible shot. Maya, on the other hand, seemed to have inherited their mother's hawk-like aim as she could hit a target from twenty paces away.

"Okay. If you say so." Eric muttered.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Maya asked as she started to load a plate with food. Eric informed his sister of the plan to head to the museum that was having an exhibit on some artefacts found in Syria. Maya's face screwed up in thought. "Sounds like a good plan. I _need_ to not do anything Assassin related for a couple of days."

Eric was happy to hear that from his sister. The two waited for about thirty minutes when Jack finally appeared, showered and dressed. Maya, Eric and Jack both left the house around ten-thirty, leaving through the garage door. However, Eric stopped when he spotted a third motorcycle that he didn't recognize. His question died on his lips when Jack placed a helmet on his head and straddled the bike expertly. He never saw the younger boy as someone to ride motorcycle. And he didn't think that Aunt June would allow him to ride one.

Beside him, Maya whistled impressively. "Nice ride, Jack. Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, uh, a friend gave it to me, since he was moving and couldn't really take it with him."

"And he gave it to you…. for free?" Maya's quirked eyebrow and tone of voice told Eric that she didn't believe Jack's (seemingly) half-baked story. Not that Eric believed it either. But the two just shrugged and moved on. Maya and Eric straddled Eric's bike before the three of them headed to the museum. It was a little farther out of town than suspected but Eric supposed that was because between the museum and Jasper, there was nothing but desert. The thirty-year-old was correct with his assumption that it was going to be boiling hot, as by the time the three pulled up into the parking lot of the museum, he was drenched in sweat.

Maya on the other hand seemed to be enjoying the blistering heat.

As soon as they entered, the three headed towards where the new exhibit was being showed. Maya was at least three steps ahead of Jack and Eric, as excitement poured out of her. However, the excitement seemed to suddenly evaporate as they approached the start of the exhibit.

There, framed in a large billboard, was a picture of the Masyaf Castle, one of the Brotherhood fortresses used in the twelfth century. Maya allowed Jack to enter first, shooting a look of worry back at him. Eric sent the same look back to his sister. How did the archeologists have access to Masyaf? It was so remote that even Ezio Auditore, the most badass Assassins of all time, had trouble reaching it.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Maya whispered to Eric as they entered the exhibit. He didn't know _what_ he was thinking. So many important Assassin artefacts, including an Apple of Eden, was stored in Masyaf. Templars could've easily stolen from right underneath the Brotherhood's nose.

"Just stay calm." He ordered quietly. His eyes caught a banner that probably used to hang on the parapets of the castle fortress. Maya saw it too, as she quickly tucked her pendant into her shirt. "We'll call the Levantine Brotherhood when we can to see if anything important was taken."

Maya nodded and the two caught up with Jack. Throughout the rest of the exhibit, Eric became increasingly worried, as there were all kinds of Assassin artefacts on display for the whole world to see. The ones that really took Eric's breath away with worry were the four Masyaf keys that Ezio used to unlock Altair's library. All four of them were there, behind glass, with an inscription underneath them.

It read, _these circular artefacts were discovered in the library in the Masyaf Castle. They are believed to be keys of some sort, though what they unlock is unknown. They are made up of an unknown composition._

While Jack snapped a couple pictures on his phone, Eric stole a glance at Maya. Her pale face and her wide eyes were exactly how he felt.

Then, they came across the orb.

It was a little too big to be an Apple and the markings didn't match the reported markings that had been reported with the Apples, but it seemed similar enough to the siblings that their hearts started to pound. If it was placed with the Masyaf Artefacts, then the two would've stolen it right then and there. But it was placed with a statue of Poseidon in the Greek section of the museum.

After another hour or so (it seemed that way, Eric wasn't exactly worried about the time), the three decided to stop by the gift shop/café to get something to eat and drink before they would head back to the house. Eric noticed that Maya wasn't really touching her food, which was a sign of her stress. But she seemed to force the food down her throat in order not to raise suspicions from Jack, who seemed to be texting someone while he munched on his quiche. Eric recognized the crease in the younger boy's brow, as if worried about something. But he gazed back towards his sister.

Suddenly, Jack stood. "I've got to run to the restroom. I'll be right back."

Eric watched him go, and when he disappeared behind the corner, he heard Maya sigh heavily. "I thought he'd never leave. Okay, so I was thinking we come here in a couple of nights when there's sure not to be anyone here and liberate the artifacts."

"Are we really going to break into a museum that we aren't familiar with?" Eric asked skeptical of his sister.

"Don't worry." Maya assured him. She tapped the side of his head. "I managed to map the place. And marked all the security cameras. All we need is a plan."

"First, you're going to draw a layout of the place when we get home. Then, both of us are going to sit down and talk out a plan. And since we're not going up against any Templars," he rapped his knuckles on the table, "we're going do this slowly and carefully."

"What happened to going into a situation, knocking heads and taking names later?" Maya asked with a slight chuckle.

"These are precious artifacts, which rightfully belong to the Brotherhood." Eric said. He popped a pretzel bite into his mouth. "Besides, we have to remember the Creed. First rule: never compromise the brotherhood."

Maya gave him a smirk. It seemed she was about to say something, probably another snide remark about the ancient code that has kept the Brotherhood safe, when Jack came back. He seemed a little calmer but there was still that worried air around him. Eric just eventually chalked it up to school being tough on him.

"You guys ready to go?" Eric asked. Maya and Jack both nodded and the three of them stood in unison. They all headed towards the exit, Eric feeling rather tired and in desperate need of a nap. He must've been getting old. The day was significantly cooler, he noticed, when they stepped outside. The man sighed, feeling as though his life had slipped by. He shook his head. He couldn't dwell on those kinds of thoughts.

He had a mission and a purpose to complete.

The ride back to Jasper was a rather boring one. Nothing happened, but there was an air of tension hanging over them. Something was coming. Something big.

While they were waiting at a stoplight, Jack pulled up next to them. He lifted his visor before speaking. "I'm going to head over to a friend's house. Make sure you tell Mom I've gone to see Sadie."

"You got it." Eric shouted. He sensed Maya was about to say something about the fact that he was going to see a girl when Eric gunned his engine. She almost crushed his chest as her grip tightened as he sped forward, his motorcycle almost squealing against the pavement. Eric glanced behind him, and saw Jack going the opposite way, at full speed. That had Eric mentally scratching his head. Because the direction Jack was going didn't lead to any town or city.

All it led to was empty desert.

 _" Remind me to put a tracker on Jack's phone."_ He ordered his sister through the comm.

 _" Why?" _His sister's response came through low and hesitant.

 _"I don't know. I just have a hunch. " _Eric turned sharply onto the interstate that would take them back to the Jasper suburbs. They easily slid into the driveway. Maya and Eric noticed that Aunt June's car was gone, meaning that she was probably on an errand of some sort. Maya made sure to grab the souvenirs they bought at the museum for Aunt June as they walked into the house. It was only when he laid down on his bed did he notice that he had several missed calls and encrypted messages from a very important person. Brotherhood Mentor William Miles, who had been in hiding for the past year and a half.

Desperately wanting sleep but curious about what the missing mentor wanted, he struggled to open his phone. He, like Maya, had memorized the code book that the Assassins used to hide information. It didn't help that it was always changing since the Templars always got their hands on it, but he and Maya were smarter they looked.

Eric's eyes went wide as he continued to read the message. He couldn't believe what he was reading, and couldn't comprehend what the Mentor had sent. There were several pages of messages that detailed the siblings' new mission, in addition to their own personal mission in collecting the pages of the Codex.

There was no way…...

This couldn't be happening…...

He sprung up from his bed, panic and fear rising as he ran through the house, looking for his sister. He found her laying in the living room, on the couch, absently scrolling through the channels. She sat up when she saw her brother with a wild look in his eye, phone in hand and hair disheveled.

"Eric? Is everything okay?"

"Maya…we need to talk."


	4. Chapter 3

" _Comm/phone."_

Text messages

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

" **Bumblebee speak."**

Chapter 3

Maya paced the room, anxious and paranoid.

The house was still empty, aside from her and Eric, which made the anxiousness and paranoia rise. It had been only thirty-five minutes since Eric passed the message sent to him by Mentor Miles to her.

And it had sent her on the edge.

This was out of character for the Templars, that much was certain. Way out of character. No one would be stupid enough to trust the Templars, as it wasn't in the Order's nature to trust someone on the outside. It wasn't in their nature to trust even those on the inside of their Order as there was constantly a power struggle and backstabbing. But now, they had an alliance?

"Maya, would you stop pacing? You're going to wear a hole in Aunt June's floor." Eric muttered from his position on the couch.

"Don't you think this whole thing is totally out of character for the Templars?" Maya demanded, stopping her pacing for a second before resuming it. "I mean, think about. They stab each other in the back over a bit of power that lasts as long as four to five years. This alliance with this paramilitary group means that they'll have to share their power. Do you think the Templars can share power easily?"

Eric pursed his lips and shook his head. "No. I don't."

" _Exactly._ And don't get me started on the paramilitary group their sharing their power with. They're known worldwide and their leader is at the very top of the FBI's hit list, not to mention the Navy Seals. Don't you think that the Templars would want to keep a low profile, since they have a massive connection to Abstergo Industries?"

Eric shrugged. "Why are you going off on such a rampage? It's not like we're members of the Templars."

"No, but this alliance will definitely put the Assassins back for several decades. Maybe even more." Maya groaned as she threw herself onto the recliner. With her face mushed by the sofa cushions, she continued her rant, "This paramilitary group is rumored to have very high-tech, almost alien, weapons. They even have access to satellites. How are the Assassins, and ultimately us, going to stay hidden with the Templars allied with these people?"

"I don't know, Maya." She heard her brother whisper. "Honestly. But at least we know now instead of later when we go up against them."

Maya sat up. "We can't worry about them right now. Unless a mission has us directly crossing them, we don't need to worry right now about them. We have other things to deal with."

She swiveled her head just in time to see a wince flash across Eric's face, which elicited a groan of displeasure from her as she dramatically wiped her face. "What is it now?"

"Miles wants us to investigate a warehouse where the military group might be holding an artifact. Apparently, they picked up some crazy energy readings coming from there."

"So now we have to decide what we go after." Maya muttered, turning on her back. "The museum artifacts or a possible Apple."

"Well, I think I have a plan." Eric stated slowly. Maya rolled back onto her stomach in order to fix her older brother with a dead, grey eyed stare that she was known for among the Assassin Initiates. "Since the museum artifacts are going to be here for a while, and the Apple might not, then the Apple takes top priority."

Maya pouted. Since she had fully immersed herself into the history of the Assassin Brotherhood, she had come to appreciate artifacts that held significance (whether it be her definition or the Brotherhood's). For example, when Maya was only fifteen, she had liberated Pirate Assassin Edward Kenway's private cache from the London Templars simply because they interest her. She later found out that some of the documents detailed the location of an Observatory. It helped the Assassins locate and destroy it, blocking it from Templar use. For her, both the museum artifacts and the Apple took top priority.

Only question: which one was more of a top priority to her now?

She sighed dramatically as she made up her choice. "I think we should go after the Apple first."

"Good." Eric stood and stretched. "I'm going to lay down for a little bit. You're going to need to look over the layout of the warehouse before our mission."

"When will that be?"

"A couple of days at the most." Eric shouted his answer down the hall. His answer was followed by a door slamming shut. Maya turned the television on to whatever she even remotely felt like watching. She spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, dozing several times, awaking at the smallest of sounds. It was the third time she woke up, around five-thirty, her eyes landed on the video game Jack's friend brought over earlier. Maya sat up and reached forward. But her fingers stopped only inches away. She shook her head, figuring it was best to stay out of Jack's business. She sighed as she sat up.

She really needed to study the layout of the warehouse that the Mentor sent her and Eric. Maya took a deep breath as she went to her room, looking for her laptop that she brought. Eric was in a deep sleep, his snoring shaking the room. Maya smiled. Her brother needed sleep and rest as much as she did. Their lives as an Assassin took up too much time and required too much trust. Anyone that came into their lives had the potential of being a Templar agent, and even those already in their lives could be Templars trying to infiltrate the Brotherhood. Even though she was one year younger, Maya felt like she eased into the Brotherhood lifestyle easier than Eric apparently did.

Eric had a fiancée when Maya was initiated. They were set to get married when evidence came up that she was a Templar sleeper agent. Eric was so in denial about his fiancée that it took him almost getting stabbed in his sleep for him to realize it. After that, Eric walked the fine line between being a Rogue and a maverick for months, much like she was after the death of her mother, distancing himself away from those in the Brotherhood. It was only when Maya became a full member of the Brotherhood did Eric finally appear to come back around to the Brotherhood.

But he never trusted anyone but his own family.

Maya quietly grabbed her laptop from her duffle bag (along with the charger) and returned to the living room. She waited about five minutes for her laptop to get on the minimum power amount before she entered into her encrypted email. The woman downloaded the blueprints for the warehouse the new ally of the Templars is supposedly are hiding out with the Apple. Her eyebrows furrowed as she scanned it, and in her mind, she saw the actual warehouse as it might be.

A big three-story warehouse, with four loading docks marking the four cardinal directions, with a joint loading dock near the south entrance.

So many places for a trap to be sprung. So many places for an ambush to happen. Too little places to easily make it through the warehouse undetected. Also, it seemed that the warehouse was located a day or so away from Jasper. Maya groaned silently to herself, not really wanting to leave too soon after just getting here only a day before. Maybe if they tell Aunt June they've got something important to take care of in the next town over, then they could get away with being gone for a few days?

Maya heard the garage door opening and quickly put the layout of the warehouse on an encrypted file hidden deep within the computer and slammed the laptop shut. She managed to get comfortable on the couch when the door opened and Aunt June walked in.

Actually, stormed in was more like. She slammed the door and mumbled angrily as she stomped all the way to her room. Maya wanted to ask what was wrong but something stopped her. She remembered how her mom acted when she had a bad day and needed some space. But Aunt June was supposed to have had some groceries with her, unless she already got them. Maya became even more confused when an _extremely_ disheveled Jack appeared. There was a shell-shocked look in his eyes that Maya recognized in the eyes of the Assassin initiates who had their first Bleeding.

"Everything okay?" Maya asked. Jack nodded, seemingly on auto-pilot. He plopped down on the couch, rubbing his eyes furiously as if rubbing away a memory.

"So, where's Eric?"

"Asleep. Though with your mom slamming doors, I doubt that he will be asleep right now."

Right as the words tumbled from her mouth, Eric appeared, his phone to his face. He gave Maya a wiggle of his eyebrows (a strange code that the two of them created on the insistence of their parents), which meant he was pretending to talk on the phone. Meaning that he was, as usual, one step ahead of Maya in planning.

"Uh huh." Eric said into his phone. His face scrunched up in false sadness. "Really? Oh, that's too bad. I'm so sorry, Jeanie. Is there anything I can do? Do you want some company?" He paused as if listening. "Don't worry about it. Maya and I are actually in Jasper right now. Oh, I'm sure that our Aunt will let us come visit. And even if she didn't, we're still coming. We are adults after all."

Jack lifted his head up and watched Eric intensely. Maya couldn't help a small smile and a pang of guilt appear. The small smile because it was obvious that Jack was falling for the rouse, and the pang of guilt appear because she was duping her family. Hopefully, though, neither Jack nor June will find out about the subsequent lie.

"Okay. We'll be there in two days. Sound good?" Eric sighed as if relieved. "Okay. See ya then."

Eric clicked off the phone, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. Maya pretended to look him over with a worried look on her face.

"Everything okay?"

Eric paused. "Do you remember Jeanie Wilkson?"

Maya pretended to nod slowly. "Vaguely. Isn't she that person who knew mom and dad way back in college?"  
"The very same. Well, apparently her husband just died."

"Oh no. That's awful!" Maya gasped. "How's she doing?"

"As you expect."

"You and your mom won't mind if we leave for a couple of days, right?" Maya asked Jack, who had been swiveling his head back and forth between the two like a tennis match. When Maya asked the question, he snapped his head towards her.

"Uh, I don't think so. Why?"

Maya shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Just asking." She turned to Eric. "I'm going to go pack an overnight bag."

"Okay."

Maya strolled out of the room, her laptop underneath her arm. She sighed as she started to pack her Assassin gear, which was buried underneath under all her clothes in her regular duffel bag. Unlike her brother's modern-day inspired robes, Maya's was more traditional in design. It was a dark black and red robed jacket inspired by Arno Dorian, Maya's favorite historical member of the Brotherhood aside from Ezio Auditore. Except, while Arno's stopped at just above the kneecap, Maya's ended in the middle of her thigh and they ended in a point. The sleeves stopped in the middle of her forearm, which allowed Maya's Hidden Blade to protect the rest of the forearm. On her left hand, Maya wore a bracer, modernized from the version Ezio Auditore used.

Maya made sure to pack all of her things: her bracer, her Hidden Blade, her robes, her pistol and as many bullets as she could pack in the minimal space she had left. She also placed her soft-soled, steel-toed boots into the pile of the items. A knock at the door had her tensing up, as most of her Assassin gear was still out in the open.

"Hello?" She called out hesitantly.

The door opened a crack. "It's just me."

"Eric." Maya greeted her brother as she pulled out her journal. Her brother plopped down on his bed, watching her as she started to write an update in her daily journal. But her brother's eyes boring into her caused her to become uncomfortable. Finally, she whipped her head towards the man. "WHAT?!"

"Do you really think it's a good idea to keep a journal?" Eric asked. Maya groaned overdramatically, as this was an issue that has come up and been argued over several times. "I mean, what if Jack found it and read it? That would put him danger."

"Don't worry, Eric." Maya assured him. "It's just a journal. Besides, I don't go into too much detail about any Assassin missions. At least, not often."

Eric glared at her, but Maya ignored him as she continued to write in her journal. She wrote until it was time for supper, which was…rather tense. Aunt June was passive-aggressively reprimanding Jack for something that made the siblings glance at each other awkwardly. Maya and Eric gave each other looks, noticing the tense atmosphere between the two. During dessert of prunes (of all things), Maya and Eric informed June that they would be gone for a while, as one of their family friends is having a difficult time and needs support. They promised to be back by Sunday night.

"Just be safe." Was all she said as she angrily shoved prunes into her mouth.

The next two days went by in a blur. Maya and Eric passed the time by sparring or working on their bikes. Maya managed to fix the bikes up to where they didn't make too much noise. She hoped that it would be enough to catch the Templars by surprise if they snuck up on them. Jack and June left indiscriminately, though Jack would stay out a little past curfew on some nights. And on those nights, Maya barely heard the garage door open or Jack pull up even though she would be siting in the quiet kitchen, reading a book or studying the Codex page she liberated. She was excited reading the Codex page, as she could see where Ezio made his notations in the corner and margins. But since Jack came in without her hearing, she had to hide the page underneath a pile of bills.

Maya sighed as she wiped the grease off her brow. At the moment, she and Eric were the only two in the house. Eric was in the guest room, going over the warehouse layout and looking over Maya's plan to see if he could find any holes in it. She was in front of the garage fixing up the bikes. It was a rather warm day, and even her shorts and tank top couldn't keep the heat off her. Tonight, was the night that she Eric left for the warehouse. Stakes were high, as well as the anxiety.

The roar of a motorcycle caught her attention. It sounded too much like Jack's motorcycle, so expecting him to be home early for one reason or another, she lifted her head in time to see a motorcycle similar to her cousin's race on by. Maya was so shocked by the fact that an identical motorcycle, right down to the pink trims, drove on by _with a different and definitely female driver_ that she stood up and ran to the curb. She watched the motorcycle drive off into the distance.

 _Must be the heat,_ she thought, returning to her work. _I mean there are those really common motorcycles out there. Maybe Jack has one of those. Eh, I'll figure it out later._

Maya placed her earbuds in her ears for the last duration of her work. Occasionally, she glanced at her watch, keeping an eye on the time and counting down the minutes. But she kept herself focused on her work, making sure every screw, nut, bolt and wire went where it was supposed to. Around three-thirty, Maya went back inside the house to shower and to get dressed for the small trip. After her shower, Maya gathered up her things while Eric left a note for Aunt June and Jack, saying that they should be back by the end of the week.

As Maya strapped her things to the back of the motorcycle, Eric appeared. "You ready to go?"

"Almost." Maya muttered as she finished securing her small duffel bag. She turned to her brother. "Ready. And you?"

Eric bobbed his head. "Yep. Got everything. Ammo, weapons, Blade, plans and cash."

"Okay. Well, let's get going." Maya straddled her motorcycle before slipping on her helmet. She moved the shield on her helmet. "I want to get as much sleep as I possibly can before the mission tonight."

"Don't worry. I made sure to call a motel about five miles away from the warehouse and booked a room." Eric tied back his hair as he slipped his helmet on. "Though we do have to be there by six tonight."

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Maya gunned her engine as she took off, popping a wheelie as she flew down the street. She vaguely heard Eric right behind her, and together, the two sped down the street. Maya found herself wishing for a time when she could stay in one place for more than a few days, and when she lived without fear for her and her family.

But she had to focus on the present, and not the past.

The drive was long and arduous but not as long and arduous as the drive down to Jasper was. The two arrived at the motel at around five-thirty in the afternoon, checking into their room around six. The room wasn't big, but it was a cheap motel. In the room, there were two queen sized beds on either side of the room, a small tv, small bathroom and a small closet. Maya sighed as she placed her bag on the bed before plopping down. She stared up at the ceiling, feeling as though the weight of the entire world on her.

Thankfully, though, she had someone to share it with.

"Come on, Maya." Her brother ordered gently. "We have to get ready and be out the door by six-thirty."

Maya groaned as she stood and started to dig through her duffle bag. She snatched her robes before heading towards the bathroom. It took the woman five minutes to change. Instead of her normal black leggings, Maya wore dark, tight jeans like her brother. After brush her half-shaven hair to one side, making it a little more manageable, Maya stared into the mirror.

This was her life, this was the life of her parents, and her grandparents, and her great-grandparents. Her families' lives had been promised to the Assassin Brotherhood. The Everton family was forever bound to the Brotherhood until the end of time.

"Maya hurry up!" Eric knocking on the door startled her out of her thoughts.

"I'm coming, Eric." Maya shouted back. She yanked the door open forcefully. "Keep your wig on."

Eric scowled as he brushed his hair with his fingers. "It's not a wig."

"Whatever you say, bro." Maya smirked at her brother's face. Eric changed into his robes and the two were out the door by six-thirty-five.

They would soon find out that this would be the mission that would change their lives forever.


	5. Chapter 4

_"Comm/Phone"_

Text messages

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

 **"Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 4

The siblings pulled up to the warehouse well past midnight.

The moon illuminated the road ahead. Maya and Eric were silent as they pulled up, Maya's tinkering with the very loud motor paying off. The two pulled themselves off the main road as the silhouette of the warehouse appeared on the horizon. They parked their bikes near the factory's compound, in the shadows of a tree and some bushes. When the bikes were shut off, Maya and Eric pulled off their helmets and slid on their hoods and face covering. The two nodded to each other as they slipped into the shadows and made their way towards the factory proper.

While hanging in the shadows, Maya glanced up towards the catwalk that was raised several feet off the ground. She saw the occasional movement on the catwalk, a glint of dark green leather and a shine of moonlight off the metal of a high-powered weapon. Her heart pounded. There were too many guards on the catwalk, even for the well-skilled siblings to dispatch of. It wasn't like them to short themselves on studying the information given to them for a mission, but they hadn't expected there to be so many.

Of course, that just spiked their theory that this new ally of the Templars did indeed have a Piece of Eden.

 _You take the left, I'll take the right._ Maya signed to her brother. He nodded, disappearing into the shadows as if he had never existed. Maya took a deep, silent breath as she melted out of the shadows and into the moonlight. But she didn't stay still long enough to be spotted. Like a moving shadow of darkness, Maya moved silently and swiftly through the compound. She was almost to the catwalk ladder when she leapt up, launching high enough to grab hold of several ladder rings. Once her toes barely touched the ladder, she launched herself upward, grabbing the ladder when she lost momentum. Several times, she hid herself in the shadows as a guard strolled by, but once he was out of sight, she continued her climb.

Finally, she reached the platform. Underneath her mask, she smirked as she surprised a guard on patrol. She flicked her wrist, her well-oiled blade sliding out with a barely audible _snick._ The guard didn't even get the time to draw a breath as Maya lunged forward and inserted her blade into his jugular. The sharpened blade slid through the rubber suit with ease, piercing the man's neck and poking a hole into his arteries. He was barely able to do or say anything as he clutched his wound, gurgling his final words. Maya didn't even bother to wait around until his body got cold, as she was sure that her brother had probably already taken care of several others.

And it wouldn't be long before the bodies were discovered and the alarm was sounded.

Maya waited a moment right before she turned a corner, hearing the faintest sound of footsteps. Right when it appeared that the person was about to turn the corner, Maya launched herself, tackling the person. She was ready to stab the person, but stopped when she saw it was Eric.

"Sorry about that Brother." She whispered as she moved to the side. The man glanced towards her, slight anger igniting his light grey eyes, but it was pushed down.

"It's fine." He whispered back. "Did you take care of the guards?"

"Yeah. But we need to keep moving. They'll be discovered pretty quickly."

"Right." Eric stood, gesturing for her to follow him. Eric went forward inside the factory first, with Maya taking up the rear. Both kept their eyes open for anything that looked like an ambush. Halfway into the factory, Maya was both surprised and a little disappointed at the lack of ambushes. There wasn't anyone hiding the shadows, leaping out at them, which put both of them on edge.

However, they did get a clue as to what was going on when a small group of soldiers walked by. The two hid themselves in the shadows, and held their breath as they walked by.

"I can't believe we captured one!" a solider was saying. His companion chuckled back.

"I know! Is it just me, or do these robots get more stupid every time we encounter them?"

The soldiers were so busy laughing that they didn't notice Maya or Eric. The siblings gave each other a sidelong glance.

Robots? What on earth were they talking about? Did this ally of the Templars find a part of the Isu Civilization that the Assassins were not aware of? As far as the Brotherhood or Order knew, the Isu didn't have any robots. Either they didn't have need for any, with the whole of humanity as their work force, or they just weren't at that point in their civilization yet.

The two melted out of the shadows and made their way forward. However, they got only three steps when Maya heard the fizzle of electricity and a pained scream echo through the corridors. She froze, as did Eric. Images of the skeletons found in the first factory flashed through Maya's mind, friends and brothers-and-sisters-in-arms that died without anyone knowing where they were. What the Templars did to them, put them through, raced through her mind, giving her anger beyond a normal human. The only thing keeping her from running off was Eric's hand wrapped around her arm.

"Sister, you are not running off." He whispered harshly. He yanked her back into the shadows as a couple of guards came walking by. "Listen to me. You can't run off without a clear head!"

Another scream ripped through the hallway. Maya fought the urge to run towards the screams even harder. "I have to save whoever that is! It could be one of us!"

"Maya, listen to me!" Eric turned her around to where she was facing him. "We have to find the Apple. That's our priority."

Maya settled down a little bit, but she couldn't stop listening to the screams. She shut her eyes. Finally, she opened them and faced her brother, "Finding the Apple is your priority. I'm going to find that poor person screaming."

She kicked herself free and bolted down the hallway. Eric would have two options: to chase after her and forget the Apple, or let her run off to do what she wanted to and get the Apple himself.

He might be thankful for her running off later, as she would provide enough of a distraction for him to swipe the Apple or whatever artefact the Templars were holding.

Maya followed the screams until they were practically deafening. Maya didn't know what she was doing. She was merely going on instinct as she climbed the walls, camouflaged by the extensive shadows. She climbed until she was among the intricate beams of the ceiling. Maya was able to position herself in a better position when the electricity fizzled again, giving her a good look of who exactly was screaming.

And the woman couldn't believe her eyes.

There was a robot on a long, dissection-like table. Around it, there were long wires poking out of its arms, legs and torso. The robot itself didn't look like anything to be strapped to a torture device and it certainly didn't look like anything that could've come from Earth. For one thing, it looked human, if not for the blue and silver armor that plated its body, as well as the tires that made up the heels. If Maya squinted, she could see that the robot had pink highlights framing its face. And Maya noticed that it was distinctly female.

"Oh, come on," A deep, gravelly voice soothed. But it sent shivers down Maya's back. "You don't have anything to gain from keeping the location of your base a secret."

"Get fragged," the robot hissed.

 _So, it_ is _female,_ Maya thought. She moved a little bit to where she was right over the human man. He seemed to be fit for someone of his apparent age. He looked like he was in his mid-to-late-fifties, maybe sixties. The only way Maya could tell his age was his shining white hair.

The man clicked his tongue while shaking his head, as if disappointed and also somehow pleased by the answer. "Such a shame. I guess we'll have to turn up the volume a bit."

He gestured to a soldier at the controls. Maya didn't wait another moment. She flicked her wrist, her blade sliding back out, as she launched herself from the beams. She released an eagle like screech, which brought the attention of the man and soldier to her. Unfortunately, her aim was a little off, which meant that she landed in between the two. Maya guessed that with her dark outfit, and almost malicious glint in her eye, she looked almost like a demon, which had the soldier screaming and scrambling away. But he didn't get very far as Maya removed a throwing knife from her bandolier and tossed it with deadly accuracy, landing squarely in the guy's back. He fell, dead before he hit the ground.

She turned to the man, staring down the man with as much intensity as she could. But the man wasn't going to back down easily it seemed.

"Ah, you must be the Sister." The man said, his voice smooth like a snake. "Your buddies the Templars have told me a lot about you."

Maya did nothing, except narrow her eyes.

"Oh, I can assure you that they feel the same way about you and your kind." The man walked towards the railing. "Allow me to introduce myself, since we'll probably be seeing more of each other in the future. My name is Silas. I run this little operation known as MECH. I'm sure you've heard about us?"

Her hand curled into a fist and her eyes narrowed even more.

 _Oh, I've heard about you alright,_ she thought. _You are a paramilitary terrorist organization that sells high-tech weaponry to the highest buyer, whether they be rebels or dictators. And your weapons will mean the death of our kind and million innocent lives._

"Not the talkative type, eh?" Silas asked with a quirk of his eyebrow. His eyes gave her a once over. "Normally, your kind would be blabbering about their ideals and condemning ours, blah, blah, blah. But not you. Why is that?"

Again, Maya said nothing. She was hoping that her silence would enrage Silas and cause him to falter. As it was said: anger can blind the most level headed of warriors into careless mistakes. She wanted to see how careless Silas became.

"Why are you here, Sister? Are the Assassins in league with the Autobots?" Maya allowed a brief flicker of confusion to flash across her face. Autobot? What the hell was an Autobot?

Silas apparently saw this, cocking his head and a small, sick smile appearing. "So you aren't. You came here because of the energy spike. Well, I'm afraid that I don't have a single Piece of Eden." Silas straightened up, his eyes dancing with madness that was just barely contained. "But…you have the page of the Codex. Maybe, you can be of use to us."

He snapped his fingers. Behind Maya, a small handful of guards-maybe four at the most-melted out of the shadows, weapons pointed at her. She backed up, flipping over the railing right as they opened fire on her. Silas watched as she landed right next to the robot struggling to get free.

 _" Sister, it was a trap!" _

"I know." Maya grunted as she dodged the fire. "Although the trap wasn't set for us."

 _" What? What are you talking about? What's going on?" _

"Can't talk right now." Maya realized that she was pinned down. Then, a risky, highly unpredictable plan popped into her mind. "Rendezvous at the bikes in no less than twenty minutes."

 _" Don't hang up on m- " _

Maya hung up on her brother, just so she could concentrate on the plan. She took a deep breath before dashing away from the shelter. Almost immediately, she was targeted by the shooters. She gave a glance over towards them, finding that Silas was missing. Probably because he thought that Maya and Eric were there to assassinate him.

But she could worry about that later.

Right now, she had to free the robot.

Maya had a limited number of throwing knives, which she was deciding to . But she had her pistol. She slid down underneath the dissection table, where the bullets the soldiers were firing couldn't hit her. While she was ducking, Maya quickly pulled out her pistol and started to load it in record time. Heart thundering, Maya removed herself from the shelter, and started firing. She hit about three of the MECH soldiers before the clip she was using ran out. She didn't want to become too predictable so she hopped up onto the table, pulling out one of her throwing knives. The robot had uncertainty in its all too expressive face. Maya attempted a smile that didn't look like it belonged on a madman, but she as afraid that with the mouth covering, she looked just as mad.

"Don't worry," Maya assured her over the noise of the guns. "I'm a professional."

With a flick of her wrist, Maya launched the knife. It was the farthest distance she had thrown a knife before, so she was rather surprised when the knife actually hit the console. For a millisecond, the soldiers didn't seem to know what was going on. They probably thought she had missed. That one millisecond of hesitation cost them. The console sparked before exploding, sending the soldiers over the edge of the rails. Some of them managed to grab the rail while the rest fell to the floor, motionless.

Thankfully, she seemed to hit the controls for the robot's restrains, as the cuffs beeped before opening. The robot looked like it was about to say something before Maya stopped it.

"I gotta dash." She said. Maya gave the robot a two fingered salute, saying, "If you want to do this again, give me a call. It's been fun."

She hopped down and dashed towards the way she came. Maya was only three steps away from the door when it suddenly burst open, forcing her to stop and duck from the flying debris. When she looked up, her eyes went wide at the scene in front of her.

Now, being an Assassin, Maya's family had been privy to one of the most intense secrets unknown to most of humanity. Like the fact that there was a civilization that predated humans, that was more advance than humanity would ever be in the next hundred years. Nothing really shocked or surprised her to the extent when she found out that there was an advance civilization before humanity.

But the sight that stood in front of her forced her to experience intense shock for the first time in years.

Standing in front of her, were three really tall and colorful robots. The tallest, a red-and-blue robot with broad shoulders and narrow hips, looked to be at least thirty feet tall. There was a dark green one that looked like it had a potbelly that stood almost to the red-and-blue robot's shoulder, just barely though. The last one was a black-and-yellow robot that stood several feet shorter than the other two. They all had weapons drawn, which by the looks of it, was replaced their hand. The red-and-blue robot, the one that Maya pinned as the leader, glanced around the darkness, before its blue eyes landed on her.

Maya found herself unable to move.

Despite all the enemies she's faced down, all the crazy and wild things she had seen, Maya felt her heart thumping hard in her chest. Fear was something that she rarely felt, but now it came crashing down on her like a tidal wave.

The four of them stared at each other, probably gauging each other's threat level (though Maya didn't know how big of a threat level she could be against three giant-ass robots), before Maya heard the MECH soldiers coming up behind them. She took one more look at the robots before she dashed between their legs. There was enough fear pumping through her that her legs didn't want to respond. But she kept moving, running as fast as she could. Maya had trained harder than anyone in the Brotherhood, meaning she had an insane stamina level.

That didn't mean jack if she died, though.

Maya was almost halfway across the compound when she spotted Eric on the other side of the compound on his way towards her. She almost sighed in relief when she remembered that she was still being chased.

"BROTHER!" Maya shouted at the top of her lungs over the commotion behind her. However, right as she and Eric's eyes met, Maya felt something throw her backwards. Unfortunately, in her haste to get to her brother, she didn't notice that another robot had appeared. It was a dark purple and black robot that resembled a spider.

Maya grunted as her head hit the pavement, and she fought to stay conscious. Her arms were pinned to her side, so she was unable to get to her bandoliers. She glanced down and saw that she was entrapped within a spiderweb like substance. The woman had to bite back a scream as the scary spider robot appeared in her line of view, baring teeth that frighteningly resembled fangs.

"ARACHNID!" The scream was full of hatred and rage. A moment later, the robot Maya freed appeared, kicking the spider-looking bot in the face. It gave Maya an opportunity to return to her struggle.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked as he appeared by her side.

"Yeah, I guess so." Maya groaned. She turned her head to the side, watching the battle rage just feet away from her and her brother while Eric tried to cut her loose. "This mission went off the rails rather quickly, don't you think?"

Eric chuckled. "Yeah. I don't think we've ever done a mission that went this bad this quickly."

Maya grunted as Eric was finally able to cut her free. Her head swam. She stood, unsteady on her feet. Eric noticed and put her arm around his shoulder. The two of them walked slowly away from the battle, the titans too focused on killing each other to pay attention to them.

"Where are the bikes?" Maya asked. She realized that they were heading in the wrong direction.

"One of them was destroyed." Eric muttered. Maya was too close to losing consciousness that the comment didn't do anything but make her feel like their luck had run out. "Don't worry. We still have one. I don't think you need to be driving soon anyway."

The two stopped dead in their tracks when one of the robots, the black and yellow one, was thrown in front of them. Eric directed Maya towards the left, where she could see the only remaining bike hidden behind a bunch of crates. The two made it to the bike without incident. They both placed their helmets on their head, Eric immediately gunning the engines. Maya almost squeezed her brother to death as he took off, leaving the battle behind. Maya gave one last look over her shoulder as helicopters filled the sky. One briefly had the spotlight on them before there was something that grabbed their attention. Eric didn't seem to mind the speed limit, the only thing on his mind was to get as far away as fast as he can.

Several miles away and the siblings could hear a loud boom that rocked the night. It didn't take a genius to guess what happened.

Maya sulked all the way back to the motel. Her eyes were drooping, but she forced them open. She didn't know if she had a concussion or not, so it was best to stay on the safe side until Eric could patch her up.

Eric helped her off the motorcycle and into the room. It was nearing two in the morning, so no one was out. When they entered the room, Eric helped Maya sit on the bed before he left to grab the first aid kit out of his suitcase. Maya removed her face covering and slid off her hood, noting the stickiness and soreness on the back of her head. She groaned as she gently touched the area, and winced when her hand came away with blood. Despite the pain and blood, Maya couldn't stop thinking about what happened. The robots, meeting MECH's leader Silas, and of course the trap.

She was mulling over all of this when Eric appeared, a bowl of water in one hand and the first aid kit in the other.

"Alright, sis. Let's look at that wound."

Maya complied, bending her neck so her brother could look at the wound. She hissed when her brother started to gently dab the wound.

"What were you thinking about?"

Maya blinked. "What?"

Eric continued to wash away the blood as he answered, "You had that look on your face. The one that you always wear when you're in deep thought." Eric started to dry the area. "So, what were you think about?"

She waited until Eric was wrapping her head in bandages before answering, "I was thinking about tonight."

"Yeah, well. Things happen."

"But not what happened tonight." She stood up, swaying on her feet for a little bit before she started to pace. "Silas acted like he wasn't expecting us. That or he thought we were there to assassinate him."

"Who's Silas?"

"The leader of MECH." Maya answered with a wave of the hand. She continued to pace. "And those robots. They didn't seem like they were made by the Isu or the US government. They seemed….to advanced and too human to be man-made."

Her pacing was becoming erratic, which worried Eric. He quickly stood up and grabbed his sister's shoulders. And his timing couldn't have been perfect. Maya's legs buckled as soon as Eric's fingers clamped down gently on her shoulder, and the raven-haired woman leaned rather heavily on him. He gently shushed his sister as he laid her down on the bed. He quickly grabbed a small bottle of painkillers and a glass of water. Eric gently lifted Maya's head up as he gave her two painkillers and helped her drink a sip of water. A moment later, Maya was sleeping like the dead.

In the quietness, Eric suddenly felt exhausted himself. His bones seemed to weigh him down, like anvils strapped to his wrists and ankles. He sighed as he fell backwards onto the bed. Though exhausted to the point of passing out, Eric just couldn't fall asleep. In his mind, he was going back to the mission. He remembered feeling rather frantic when he reached the spot where the energy spike was coming from and didn't find what he was looking for. Instead, it was a severed robot heat, attached to wires and an energy booster. He was in the process of searching for Maya when he heard gunfire and explosions. Whenever he and Maya were separated, there was that brotherly fear that he couldn't protect her. A certain weight that pressed down and didn't let up until they were reunited. He couldn't help it. No matter how old she was, Maya would always be his baby sister, and no matter what happened, Eric would protect her, even if that meant putting his life in danger to save her.

Eric jerked awake suddenly, realizing that he had been close to dozing. He wondered what Aunt June would be doing right now.

 _Probably asleep,_ His mind chided. He sighed as he laid his head on the pillow, scooting underneath the covers. Once he was comfortable, he gave a sigh of content, allowing exhaustion to take over him. He was kind of glad that he told Aunt June that they wouldn't be back for about three days. Eric didn't think that he or Maya would be able to get up for at least the next few days.

The last thought that entered his head was how was he going to explain Maya's missing bike when they got home?

 **Author's Note: I just want to thank those that followed/faved this story. Ya'lls continued support is EXACTLY why I keep writing! And you might've noticed that this story is going to drag a bit. I just thought I try something a little different with the pacing of my stories :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Disclaimer: Transformers and Assassins Creed belong to their respective owners. The only thing I own are the OCs and the plot. Thanks to those who have reviewed/followed this story! You guys are the best**

" _Comm/phone."_

Text messages

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

" **Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 5

Eric and Maya stayed in the hotel room for most of the day after the mission. Eric was the only one awake throughout the day but he mostly scrolled through his phone until Maya woke up around three-thirty in the afternoon. She complained that she had the worse headache in the world, so she stayed at the motel while Eric went in search of some food. He came back an hour later with a bucket of fried chicken (only the best for his injured sister) and some drinks. Maya was still in bed, but on her phone, scrolling through her Facebook absently. Her eyes were missing that spark, which told Eric how much pain his sister truly was.

"Food's here." Eric announced. Maya perked up almost instantly, drool forming on the edge of her mouth as the food filled the room up with the tasty aroma. She scrambled out of the bed, making a wild grab for the food. In truth, Eric couldn't blame her. Neither of them ate anything all day, so they were both rather hungry. They ate in relative silence, as filling their stomachs was more important than talking about what happened last night. Both of them managed to eat the entire large bucket of chicken before they spoke.

"Man," Maya groaned. She licked what remained of the grease off her fingers. "I haven't had a meal like this in forever!"

Eric gave a chuckle. "You act like Aunt June doesn't even bother to feed us."

"She just doesn't know how many calories we burn." Maya said. "All that healthy food isn't really… _filling_ , if you know what I mean."

Eric nodded, a burp suddenly erupting from him. Maya gave a laugh, before a burp, equally as loud, escaped from her. The two sat there in stunned silence before bursting out laughing to where they were both falling on the floor. Suddenly, Eric stopped, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, giving three short beeps. He stood and grabbed his laptop. He opened it, pulling up his Skype account. When the password menu popped up, the man typed in a series of numbers that resembled a code. Almost as soon as he pressed enter, the screen went black, the only thing appearing on the screen was the Brotherhood insignia. While he was doing this, he felt Maya's eyes on him the whole time.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously. He moved over to where he was lying right next to her.

"I'm contacting Shaun." Eric asked. The Brotherhood symbol vanished, his secret and encrypted Skype account appearing. Just like everything, Eric and Maya kept two accounts of everything: two emails, two Skype accounts and two bank accounts, one was for the world to see, the other for them to use for Brotherhood missions. The secret accounts were protected, hidden on their computers under layers and layers of passwords and codes. Eric and Maya were as paranoid as paranoid could get, but it kept them safe from being located by the Templars. Every single one of Maya's and Eric's secret accounts couldn't be traced or tracked back to them, which gave them the freedom to do what they wanted. Such as calling the Brotherhood's most genius member.

"Why are you contacting Shaun?"

"I'm going to ask him to send me some blueprints for a new motorcycle." Eric answered.

Unlike most Assassins, who were born into the Brotherhood, Shaun Hastings was recruited after digging too deep into Abstergo's secrets. He was kidnapped by the Templars, but managed to escape and joined the Assassin Brotherhood soon after. Since then, Shaun had been acting as a historian and analyst for those working out in the field. The British hacker was the one who built Maya and Eric their motorcycle.

There was a ringing sound as the computer tried to locate Shaun's computer. A moment later, a man in his late twenties with blond hair and glasses appeared. He raised an eyebrow at the two, looking more than a little irked.

 _' Well if it isn't the Everton Siblings!" _he stated with sarcastic happiness. _"What's up?"_

"Good to see you too, Shaun." Maya greeted with equal sarcasm. "Where've you been lately? Haven't heard anything from you or the rest of the gang in months. What gives?"

 _" Oh, my apologies. We've only been running for our lives from Abstergo nonstop. We've barely been able to breath, so you'll excuse the lack of postcards." _

Eric groaned silently. This was indicative of most of the interactions between Shaun and Maya. Sometimes, Eric had a feeling that the two were in love with each other, but didn't know how to express their feelings. But other times, Eric had a feeling that they absolutely hated each other and want to kill each other with their bare hands.

"Enough you two!" Eric ordered before the banter battle could escalate to a name calling contest. Maya rolled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. When she slammed the door, Eric returned his attention to the screen. "Sorry about that Shaun. She's had a rough night."

 _"Haven't we all. "_The hacker removed his glasses and wiped them clean. When he replaced them on his face, he asked, _" So, what's with the sudden call from the infamous Brother? We've all been hearing about your and Maya's little…. escapade last night."_

"Templar radio chatter?"

Shaun shook his head. _"International news. It's strange that one small event can get the attention of the United States Government."_

Eric blinked. "What?" _The US government? How in the world….?_

 _" Oh yeah. All over the news. They say that there was a combustion problem at one of the factories a couple of miles outside of Jasper. Although some of the more…. radical reports say that there were giant robots fighting."_

The man fell silent. His smile fell from his face, his brow furrowing. "They're not wrong."

 _"What? The combustion or the giant robots?"_

"The giant robots. We saw them, last night. They were fighting MECH and other giant robots."

 _"MECH…. MECH…. you mean that super high-tech terrorist organization that is currently on the watch list of every government in the world and are allied with the Templars earlier this week?"_

"The very same."

 _" And you say that they were fighting with giant robots that the US government is covering up?" _Shaun's excited, yet disbelieving tone of voice was off set by his deadpanned expression. _"Eh. Been weirder things I guess. So, other than the freaky news, what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"_

"Maya's motorcycle was destroyed last night. I was wondering if you had blueprints for a new one."

 _" Sure thing. I'll send you an encrypted email with the blueprints as soon as possible." _

"Thanks Shaun."

 _"No problem. Tell Maya not to do anything stupid." _

"When do I have any say in that?" Eric joked before the screen went black. He turned his head to the bathroom door. "You can come out Maya."

The door opened and a slightly damp Maya walked out. She was scowling. "Sometimes I can't stand that guy."

"Really?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You know, to me, sometimes it seems that you two are in looooove."

Maya scoffed while rolling her eyes. "Please. He's just jealous of my skills as a fighter."

"And you're jealous of his hacker skills."

"Whatever. I'm the better hacker, anyway." Maya muttered. "Did he send the blueprints?"

"He said he'll send them in a little bit." Eric lowered his voice. "He's probably busy."

Maya raised her eyebrow. "Where exactly is he?"

Eric shrugged. He thought he recognized the alters in the background from the underground rooms in Monteriggioni, the Assassin fortress is Tuscany, Italy. Probably hiding from Templars. "I'd say somewhere in Italy."

Maya hummed, slight waves of jealousy flowing off her. She laid down on the other bed which Eric slept in yesterday. "What are we going to say to Aunt June when we pull up with one motorcycle?"

"I don't know." Eric answered. "We'll probably say it got stolen or something."

Maya nodded. She rolled over on her side, her back facing Eric. Even though she had spent most of the day asleep, Eric heard her snore almost five seconds later. Eric took a deep breath, closing his laptop and placing it on the nightstand. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep again. The Assassins were spread so thin right that moment. It wasn't surprising that the Templars were able to overtake them so easily. Very few of them were left to oppose the mighty giant that was the Templar Order at the moment, but the Assassins don't go down too easily. History was clear on that.

Of course, realizing that there were giant robots somewhere out in the world changes everything.

Could those robots be opened to having them as allies? How were Maya and Eric going to get in touch with the robots if and when they decided to form an alliance? It was kind of obvious that there weren't any giant robots walking around outside. Otherwise, there would be absolute panic.

What about that dark colored one? Was it a rogue or something since they were fighting each other?

But the most important question was: how could the Assassins hope to defeat two enemies when they were so few in number, especially when one of the possible enemies is a group of giant robots?

Eric sat up suddenly. He remembered the helicopters that surrounded the factory after the two had fled were a part of the United States Government. He glanced over at his sleeping sister. After Shaun, she was the best hacker he knew. If Eric could convince her, Maya could probably hack into the US government, and possibly find the location of those giant robots, then he and Maya could find a way to meet them. It was the best plan he had so far.

He laid back down on the bed, his eyes drifting shut. He fell asleep a moment later.

The next morning, they were checked out of the motel by eight-thirty and was on the road by nine. Neither wanted to stop for breakfast, as they were on something of a time crunch. They needed to have tonight in order to infiltrate the museum (but Eric might have to strap his sister to his bed since she wasn't quite healed from her injury). Maya kept reminding him of that fact over the course of the day, sometimes in the most intense traffic.

Eric made sure she heard him confirm the promise, but as the day wore on, it was clear that they weren't going to get back in time to liberate the artefacts that day. The traffic was awful, as Maya and Eric could see that it was because of a road block several miles down the road. The two, recognizing some of the vehicles as military-issue, made sure to keep their heads down and make sure that they didn't look too suspicious.

It was almost eight in the evening when the two arrived back in Jasper, the cool night air taking the place of the blistering heat that had been present throughout most of the day. It appeared that the house was empty, either Aunt June was still at work and Jack doing something with his school or they were both asleep. Maya and Eric were both quiet as they entered the dark house, finding leftover food in the kitchen fridge.

"Jack? Aunt June? Are you home?" Maya shouted. She poked her head into the bedrooms, finding each one empty. Eric followed closely, his eyes scanning the darkness. He had a grip on his knife, his muscles tense and ready to fight. He only relaxed when Maya relaxed, looking rather perplexed about something. "Hm. Maybe they're out for supper or something."

"Probably." Eric didn't like this, not one bit. But he sighed. "Come on. I want to know where those robots are hiding."

Maya gave him a quirked eyebrow. "Do you think it's wise to hack into the United States government in Aunt June's living room?"

"Do you have any other suggestions sister?"

"No." She answered with a shrug. Maya sighed. "Go get my laptop and power cord. We're going to need a lot of energy to get passed even the first three firewalls that they no doubt have in place."

"Sure thing." Eric turned around and headed to the guest room.

While he was gathering the things needed, he heard his sister yell, "Can you make a cup of coffee and keep a look out for Jack and Aunt June?"

"Yeah." He yelled back.

Eric made his way back to the living room, dumping all his things in front of Maya before heading towards the kitchen. With expert hands, the man made a pot of extra strong coffee, pouring a cup for him and his sister. When he returned to the living room, Maya was already typing furiously on her keyboard. Her grey eyes were moving furiously as several long strings of codes appeared across the screen. She didn't bother to look up as Eric set the cup of coffee down before he moved to the window. He sat there for about an hour, his eyes watching the dark street, when he heard Maya start to make her…noises.

Eric could only compare them to noises a person makes when they are reading a really good book and they were 'talking' to the character on the page. Maya did that, except she usually did it with her codes. Her mouth twitched as well as the side of her eyes. She was acting really agitated. That had him worrying a little bit.

"What's up, sis?"

"Almost through, but someone keeps kicking me out." Her face twisted into a snarl. "Damn it!"

Eric leaned over her shoulder. He didn't understand anything that flashed on the computer screen. But his sister did, which made her angry face look even more disheartening. "Well?"

She snapped her teeth. "Someone with mad hacker skills is keeping me from the actual database." Eric felt himself become slightly downtrodden. " _But_ ," He perked up, "I managed to get a couple of things from the database and transfered them to my hard drive. Including a couple of coordinates."

Eric was just about to open his mouth, to congratulate his sister, when they both heard the garage door open. Both went pale and their eyes went wide. Almost forcefully, Maya logged out of her hacking program and slammed her laptop. She shoved it away from her, and both Eric and Maya placed themselves on the couch, with their coffee cups in hand, looking all the world like completely innocent adults having a completely innocent conversation.

Five minutes later, Jack walked in. He placed his helmet on the kitchen table. He seemed to jump a little when he spotted Eric and Maya on the couch, with a cup of coffee, talking.

"Oh, hey guys." He greeted. "When did you get back?"

"A little under an hour ago." Eric answered. Eric's grey glanced around, looking for Aunt June. "Where's June?"

"Oh, she's working the night shift. She'll be home around five in the morning." Jack yawned hugely before heading back to his room. "I'm gonna sleep in tomorrow."

"Okay." Maya nodded absently as she opened up her laptop. Her fingers were posed over the keyboard and when they heard the door close, her fingers were once again flying over the keys. Eric set down his cup of coffee, and returned to hovering over Maya's shoulder. She seemed to be having an easier time getting through the firewalls this time around. Finally, she gave the keys a final tap. Eric watched, amazed, as hundreds of files downloaded to her untraceable hard drive. She gave her brother a proud smirk.

"Who's the best?"

"You're the best." He answered automatically.

"Damn right." Maya's face morphed into triumphant grin. She cracked her fingers. "Now, let's see what our buddies in the government have kept hidden from us, shall we?"

Eric smirked as she pulled up almost all of the files. Most of them were on useless things, such as nuclear launch codes, so she went ahead and deleted them. Some of them were dossiers on certain high-ranking Templars, one of them the CEO of Abstergo. She saved those, hiding them among the other files on the Templars that they had so far. Eric made a mental note to remind her to send those to Mentor Miles later. Finally, after going through each and every single file they had downloaded, they found the information they were looking for.

And, unsurprisingly, it was in a file named 'GIANT ROBOTS'.

"Well, I guess the United States government isn't exactly known for its subtly." Eric muttered. Maya chuckled a bit in agreement.

"You got that right." She opened the file. The entire thing was encrypted, which would take them another hour or two to decode.

They moved to the guest bedroom, where they continued to stay up until they got the file decrypted. Maya didn't even bother with another cup of coffee, claiming that she couldn't stop as it would be only a matter of time before the FBI and army would come for them. They needed to get as much information off the file as they could before Maya's computer was taken and the files deleted, and before they could 'disappear'.

That is, if they could find them.

"How's it going?" Eric asked as he returned after making the fourth pot of coffee. He knew that, as he took a sip from his current cup, there was no way he was going to sleep tonight.

"I got close to a quarter of the file decrypted." Maya answered. She rubbed her face tiredly. "This is so frustrating."

"What does it say so far?"

"Uh," Maya clicked her tongue as she scrolled upward to the bit she already decoded. "It says that the giant robots are to be relocated and are to stationed in an undisclosed location. They refer to them as 'autobots' with a capital 'a'. Creative."

Eric thought about all the information given to him. He leaned over to read over her shoulder. His brow furrowed at the date in the corner.

"This looks like it came from several years ago." He noted. As his sister started to scroll through the file, he noted different dates that separated certain pieces of data, starting in the late 1990s.

"Yeah, I think that the farther down I go, the less current the file gets." Maya theorized. That sounded like a rational explanation for Eric. "But, this one right here, it says that the US was going to hide them somewhere. I noticed several numbers right here that could be coordinates."

Eric pulled up his phone and started to put in the set of coordinates that Maya started to rattle them off one by one.

One was a set of coordinates for a warehouse in Chicago.

The second one was a military base in New York.

The third was a place in Tokyo.

And the last was in Jasper, on the edge of town.

Although the coordinates implied something important, Eric was rather confused that nothing came up as the result. In fact, the only thing that pulled up was what Eric called the Valley of the Mesas. Nothing but mesas for miles around. It was the closest thing to Jasper, and the most likely place to hide giant robots.

"Well?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow. "The first three seemed to be abandoned, and unless the US government is willing to transport the robots back and forth, then only the last one works. And since it's came from the most current part of the document, it's probably the best place."

"Where exactly is it?"

"Near here. Several miles outside of Jasper." Eric showed her the phone, which still had the picture of the mesa pulled up. Maya's brow furrowed and Eric saw it. "What is it?"

"I remember…" she stood up, starting to pace as if agitated. "Do you remember my first solo mission?"

Eric shrugged. He had actually been away at the time, making sure that the Japanese Brotherhood was doing okay as there hadn't been any communications from them, so he missed out on Maya's first Blooding.

"I came here on my first mission." Maya explained. There was a confused look in her eye as she spoke. "I actually didn't kill anyone so it didn't count as a Blooding. I was sent to do some recon on a Templar convoy. But instead, I ended up getting caught in a _US military_ convoy. They were doing something to this mesa, but I was unable to get a closer look as they turned me around about a mile or so out and ordered me to head back the way I came. Though, I did see something. It looked like they were transporting a big red and blue semi-truck. That was the reason why I wasn't able to complete my mission, since it took me too long to go around."

"Why was a military transporting a regular semi-truck?"

"I don't know, honestly. At the time, I thought it was strange, but didn't think much of it." She paused as she sat back on the edge of her bed. "But, two nights ago, the biggest robot looked almost like a semi-truck. And now that I'm thinking about it, it was really similar. Like right-down-to-the-color-scheme similar."

"What about the others?" Eric didn't really get a good look at the other robots. All he caught was a fleeting glance in the initial firefight that ensued. But Maya… she actually came face to face with them, had ran underneath their legs. She had gotten a better look, but as she thought about it, she started to shake her head.

"No. All I saw was the semi-truck. Anything that the military transported that day was either covered or I missed it completely."

"Hm." He thought about it a little more before he returned to the computer. "What else does it say?"

Maya pulled the computer closer to her. "Nothing else. At least, nothing else on the section I'm looking at."

"So, it's just a matter of decrypting the rest?" Eric asked. Maya nodded. He took a deep breath. "I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight due to the multiple cups of coffee," _and the fact that there are aliens on earth,_ "so I'm going to go ahead and update the Mentor on the situation."

"Okay." Maya muttered absentmindedly. She was already back to decoding the file. It was going to take a while for the decoding to be completed, and she was going to need complete silence. So, Eric started to compile a file on his laptop (encrypted of course) to send to the mentor as soon as the mission in Jasper was done. He made sure to leave out the giant robots, as that was something that the siblings needed to investigate on their own, but put emphasis on the encounter with Silas and the soon-to-be liberation of the artefacts. It was as detailed as Eric could make it but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be completed for a while.

Eric sighed as he closed out of the report and closed his laptop. It was approaching midnight, and both were still wide awake. Maya was a little over halfway done, and with each passing moment, the two were learning more and more about these giant robots. And what they found was almost frightening. It almost turned them away from the thing they had planned, but Maya's curiousness drew Eric back into it.

"If I'm going down, so are you." She said with a smile.

Even though they decoded more than half, they still weren't able to find the current location of the giant robots or anything about where they were from. They were starting to believe that the file didn't have the information and that they would need to break into the base that was stationed several miles away. But Eric, being the patient one, ordered Maya to keep looking. And if they didn't find it by the time she finished, then they would consider breaking into a highly guarded military base.

While Maya was finishing up, Eric studied the museum layout. It was a simple layout. The museum was divided into five sections, the one they were looking for was in the far back corner. Eric counted on the fact that there was a back door that had a simple lock. Maya or Eric could easily pick the lock in about five minutes. It was almost too easy. Of course, the museum probably had alarms and such, but Maya could also easily hack into their systems and cut them off.

Compared to taking down Templars and looking for giant, possibly alien, robots, breaking into a museum should be child's play.

"Eric…" Maya's strangled voice drew his attention. Eric snapped his attention to his sister, noting that her face was deathly pale. Even more so with the light of the laptop screen.

"What is it?"

Maya swallowed thickly. Her voice was shaky as she continued, "I found where the giant robots are hiding."

"Oh really?" Eric stood and made his way towards the other side of the room. He honestly didn't know why Maya was so pale. He sat down. "So, where are they hiding?"

What she said next had Eric going pale as well.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hope y'all enjoy this Valentine's Day (or National Single's Awareness Day) treat! Special thanks to Cao in dream books  and Frostwind523 for the lovely reviews!**

 _"Comm/Phone"_

"Texting"

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

 **"Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 6

"Here?!"

Maya nodded, her face an expression of deadpan annoyance. It was a stark comparison to how she looked when she first found out where the giant robots were hiding. Of course, she had some time to process the information upon learning where the robots were hiding and had taken it better. Eric, once he found out where they were hiding, had promptly passed out on the floor and stayed there for the entire night, despite drinking ten cups of strong coffee. Maya had reiterated what they learned the previous night when he had woken up. The results were the same, but he didn't pass out.

"Yep." Maya confirmed. "And keep your voice down. Jack and Aunt June are still asleep. Besides, they can't find out what's going on. We don't know how they'll react. That and we'll have to tell them why we're looking for giant alien robots in the first place and I don't want them to get drawn into our war."

"I'm more worried about me." Eric whispered. He still had a wild look in his eyes. He took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "They're here? In Jasper?"

"Well, more like several miles outside Jasper, but yeah." Maya glanced at her nails, noting that she definitely was in desperate need of a manicure. "There's an abandoned missile silo not too far from here where the file say's that the robots are hiding there."

"Okay…" Eric was so pale that Maya was worried about him passing out again.

"Do you need to sit down or something? Cause you're really starting to worry me."

"No, no, no, I'm fine. I just…...pft." He sat down heavily on the bed, almost sending Maya's laptop off the edge. Maya rolled her eyes. Her brother could be so dramatic, more so than her.

"So…." She said after about five minutes of silence, "how are we going to contact them?"

"What?"

"We _are_ going to contact them, right?" Maya asked. "I mean, you're the one who suggested that we make them our allies to combat MECH and the Templars when we find them."

"Oh…" Eric took a deep breath. He paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Why don't we lure them out?"

"How so?"

"Well, they came to the warehouse the other day because of an energy spike, right?" At Maya's nod, Eric continued, "So, we create something similar to it, lure them out, then we talk to them."

"Good, good." Maya muttered. Then, something came to mind. "If they take the bait, how do we avoid not getting killed if they come out guns a-blazin'?"

Eric took a breath to say something but stopped when he realized that Maya probably had a point. "How about we just play that part by ear?"

There was a pause. Maya was kind of shocked that Eric proposed to play the most important part of the mission by ear, but she was ready for this so she just shrugged, "Eh. I'm okay with that. So, what are we going to use to lure the robots out?"

Her brother was quiet as he pondered the question. Then after five minutes of sitting in silence, he turned to her with a slightly scary, but exhilarating grin. Maya immediately knew what he was going to suggest.

And she was already on board.

An hour later, the two were walking into the museum, disguised as cleaners. Maya had her hair pulled back to where it looked like she had an undercut, and Eric had his hair tied back into a low ponytail, with both of their hats pulled low over their eyes. They were wearing uniforms they "borrowed" from the original owners, who were stashed somewhere knocked out. While Maya had a large broom and a wet-floor sign, Eric had a large garbage bag for the artefacts. It was risky taking the artefacts in broad daylight, but if they were going to lure the robots out then they needed to get the orb in the museum. And since they already had a reason to go the museum in the first place, they figured why not go ahead and make use of their time?

"Hold it." The security guard ordered when they walked in. "The museum's closed right now."

Maya popped out their fake credentials while Eric explained, "Oh, really? That's strange. We were supposed to clean today. You see, Mr. Myers told us that he was having some special people over later today, so he wanted us to get things ready in the Syrian exhibit."

"Is that so?" The guard asked. It was clear the he didn't believe him. His eyes went to Maya, who looked like she was getting bored and impatient. "Is he telling the truth?"

"Wouldn't be here on a Saturday if it wasn't." Maya made sure that her voice had an over the top Brooklyn accent. She internally regretted the fact that she couldn't pull off another accent other than the Brooklyn accent. But Maya stuck to it. "Here's our credentials. You can check them if ya want. Hell, you can call Mr. Myers if ya don't believe us."

The guard quickly snatched the fake credentials and started to scan them. Maya looked around the empty foyer, wondering exactly why the museum was closed. It made their job a little easier, but it bugged her to no end. Maya caught Eric looking at her with a raised eyebrow, but she shrugged. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing.

Finally, the guard sighed as he handed the credentials back to them. "Okay. You have an hour. Not a minute longer, you hear?"

"You got it boss man." Maya said as she and Eric strolled towards the Syrian exhibit. Her eyes glanced over at the camera that was in the corner, happy to see the red light wasn't blinking. She whispered to her brother, "I can't believe that worked."

"I know. And those weren't even the best credentials we had."

"Hang on!" Maya shouted indignantly but her brother shushed her. She winced at the loudness of her voice, but she assumed it had something to do with the fact that the hallways echoed rather loudly, even with their soft-soled boots. Even though they were alone, Maya couldn't help her eyes roaming through the shadows, searching for anything that showed the shadows were deeper than normal. Her heart was pounding as they arrived in the Syrian exhibit, her eyes moving in quick rapid succession to make sure that the trip wasn't all for naught.

Thankfully, all the artefacts were still there.

Maya turned to the area where the camera was hiding, nodding in gladness when she noticed that the camera was still off. She gave a glance at her chronometer, biting her lips when she realized that they had thirty minutes before the cameras and the alarms came back on, which didn't seem like a lot of time.

They had to work fast.

"Okay, I'll get the stuff here." She said. "You, go and get the orb. And be quick about it. We have less than thirty minutes before the alarms came back on."

Eric nodded before running off. Maya took a deep breath before she broke the glass and started to stuff all the artefacts into her bag. She took special care stuffing them into her bag, especially the things that looked like they would fall to dust. There was reverence but also speed in her movements as she gathered all of the artefacts, including Ezio's abandoned Blade, the one he left in the bowels of Masyaf when he decided to give up the life of the Assassin Mentor and live his life as he chose. But instead of putting it into her sack, Maya strapped it onto her wrist, pulling the straps as tightly as they would go.

 _Ezio must've had some big arms,_ she thought, as the blade still hung off her wrist slightly. She had to repress the urge to squeal like an excited fangirl when the realization hit that she was wearing the great Ezio's own Hidden Blade on her arm. Maya knew that they didn't have a lot of time, so she quickly finished her assigned task.

Right as she was stuffing the last item carefully in the bag, she heard footsteps on the marbled floor. There was a hurried beat to them, so thinking that it was Eric returning from collecting the orb, Maya turned away from her finished job with a smile and an open mouth. However, her smile faded when she saw that it wasn't Eric.

It was a complete stranger.

The two froze, looking at each other with identical shocked expressions. Maya's eyes went to the Templar Cross that was pinned to the man's lapel, noticing how the his eyes went to the Hidden Blade on her wrist.

Almost immediately, the two leapt into actions and started to tussle. Maya tried to release the Hidden Blade on her wrist but either it was calibrated differently to what she was used to or it was completely rusted. It just wouldn't engage. She was defenseless, but managed to kick away the Templar's gun, so they were just grappling on the floor. She almost wished that she could've grabbed a shard of glass but it would take too long to grab one, since most of the pieces large enough to do any damage were on the other side of the exhibit. Maya also knew that fighting a Templar would either bring unwanted attention or the fight would run the clock out and they would end up getting caught by the security guard.

So, Maya moved quickly.

While her hands were around the man's neck, she gave it a sharp twist. The man twitched, before going still. Her heart pounding, Maya stood, dusted herself off before she dashed towards the back. She spotted Eric on the floor, knocked out but the orb grasped in his hand. Maya knelt, starting to shake her brother awake, keenly aware of the time slowly running out.

"Eric! Wake up!" she whispered. He opened his eyes, the grey orbs dulled by pain. Maya helped him sit up, the man groaning as he did so.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Templars." Maya informed him. Her eyes darted down the hallway she had just came. There was the sound of shouting, probably the security guard finding the body of the man she just killed.

That was probably why the museum was closed to the public.

The Templars must've pulled some strings to get it shut down so that they could probably steal the Assassin artefacts and the unknown orb. Taking the artefacts that rightly belonged to the Assassin Brotherhood would be a moral defeat, as they would be taking ancestral artefacts. That and they would have in possession the Masyaf Keys, which combined with the fact that they might have information regarding the Masyaf Castle, would give them access to one of the Apples in the Assassin fortress. The fact that Maya and Eric only narrowly kept the artefacts out of Templar hands spoke to how uninformed the Brotherhood had become. It also put the museum curator on their hit list since it was obvious that he was an associate with the Templars.

And who can blame them, honestly?

"Come on," Maya ordered. She flung her brother's arm over her shoulder. "We've got to get going."

"This is definitely not an Apple." He muttered as he and Maya limped down the hallway. Maya glanced at the orb and saw that he was right. The orb in Eric's hand was at least twice the size of a normal Apple of Eden, and was dark blue with silver swirls. There was a different energy that surrounded the orb, one that didn't fit with any of the Isu-era, pre-human artefacts.

"Whatever it is, we don't want it falling into the hands of the Templars." Maya muttered. Eric seemed to gain his bearings enough to walk by himself, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him drive. He might've had a concussion. She pulled them into an alcove as a group of Templar foot soldiers passed them. While they were hiding, Maya glanced down at her chromometer, shocked at the single digit numbers that showed on the face. They didn't have too much time left before the cameras and security system came back on line.

 _Time was running out._

The two made it outside moments before the alarms started to blare. Maya quickly shoved a helmet into Eric's hand before shoving one on her head. Eric didn't hesitate to straddle the motorcycle but Maya took the wheel. The two were barely pulling out of the parking lot when the door behind them opened. The raven-haired Assassin glanced back in time to see several Templar soldiers aiming their high-powered weapons at them. She reacted instinctively, weaving away as they opened fire, barely making it out of range of the weapons.

Neither relaxed until the museum faded into the distance and it was just them on the open road.

Maya wanted nothing more than to start the process to contact the giant robots, but Eric's wound took priority. They would need to get back to the Darby home before they could to that however. While she was busy making sure that she didn't run off the road, in her mind, she was shouting in happiness. The Assassins were victorious in this battle, though there was an uncertainty air hung in the air, giving Maya a chill. She knew that the Templars would fight back harder the next time they clashed. The blow would surely weigh on them, forcing them to strike back even harder than before. It was the reason the war between the two factions had been growing steadily more and more violent.

Each side, at one point in time, would gain the upper hand, believing they had won and wiped out the opposing force. As a result, they had become lax, to the point where it was easy for the defeated order to regain their strength to make a comeback. It was a mistake that both Orders swore up and down that they would never make again, and yet, every time it seemed to happen. And the Assassins had been the victims this century, though it was not through their own folly this time around. The Templars had grown in power and strength, the connections they made in the governments across the world adding to the already dangerous and powerful adversary that the Assassins, meagerly equipped at best, could barely keep at bay. But, they would survive, like they always did.

With the Masyaf Key in their possession, Maya had a feeling that the Assassins were on the road to regaining the upper hand.

" _How you feeling bro?"_ she asked her brother.

" _In so much pain."_ He answered. Maya grunted silently to herself. He probably definitely had a concussion, one that needed to be taken care of immediately.

" _Just hang in there. " _She gently ordered. _"We're almost there."_

The road was empty for the majority of the trip, but about a quarter of the way back, the siblings were passed by a black-and-yellow Camaro. Maya had to admit, the person that owned the car had good taste. She had always wanted a Camaro, but the vehicle was too flashy for an Assassin trying to stay undercover. But she could still dream.

Revving the engine, Maya turned sharply onto the bypass that would lead straight back to Jasper. Surprisingly, the black and yellow car did the same. It was a respectful distance behind them, and soon was joined by another car, this one way driving much more carelessly. The car, what looked to be an Indy 500 McLaren MP4-12C racecar, sped past the black and yellow Camaro and ended up right beside Maya and Eric. She tensed, expecting the tinted window to roll down and a barrel of a gun pointed at them. But nothing happened. Instead, the car honked rudely before speeding off again, followed closely by the black-and-yellow Camaro.

 _Weird._

Maya didn't think about the incident again until later that day, as she had to take care of her brother. He had a mild concussion from getting hit in the head. It was amazing that he had remained conscious so far, but Maya still needed him awake in order to treat him. Again, June and Jack weren't home, June having left for work early that morning (although she said she would try to get off earlier to cook them supper) and Jack to hang out with friends. Hopefully, she won't have to pull both of them to the hospital due to Eric's concussion. She didn't think she could explain why he had a concussion in the first place.

The first thing Maya did when they entered the house was start going into first-aid mode. She dashed to the kitchen, grabbing a Ziploc baggie, filled it with ice, and wrapped it in a large dishrag. Once that was done, Maya turned to the living room, finding Eric's eyes closing. She grabbed his shoulder gently, shaking it so that he would wake up.

"You need to stay awake," she needlessly informed him. She moved so that she was sitting in front of him, looking him straight in the eye. "What's today's date?"

There was a pause as Eric thought. "The fourteenth."

Maya nodded. "Where are you?"  
"Jasper, Nevada. Aunt June's house."

"Do you remember what happened?"

This answer came out slightly slurred but he answered, "We were getting artefacts from the museum. I g-got…. ambushed and hit over the head."

"Repeat the following words: I work in the dark to serve the light."

"I work in the dark to serve the light."

"I hide in the shadows to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

"I hide in the shadows to protect those who cannot…. P-protect themselves."

Maya watched her brother's eyes as he spoke. They were clouded with pain and his voice was becoming increasingly slurred, but she needed to do one more thing to before she would let him sleep, "Nothing is true; everything is permitted."

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted."

"Good." She gently laid her brother on the couch, setting her timer to one hour. "Get some rest. I'll wake you up in an hour."

"Mmmmkay." A moment later, he was asleep. Maya sighed heavily as she sat down on the chair, feeling exhausted herself. But she shook herself awake, wanting to go through the small treasure trove they liberated from the museum. She decided to start with the Syrian artefacts. Most of it was pretty standard: The Hidden Blade of Ezio Auditore, banners that hung from the parapets of the keep, the four Masyaf Keys and a saber probably used by Ezio.

Maya examined the four keys closely, her fingers tracing the intricate markings on the surface. There was so much written about the Masyaf Keys, from the diary entries of Ezio Auditore, from the letters that he wrote to his sister and from the reports kept by those in the Brotherhood. Maya knew that she probably would never see Masyaf castle, mostly because Eric and her were struggling to pay for even for the most basic things. The Brotherhood was also trying to keep themselves afloat with the meager amount of money they had stored away, so obviously they couldn't afford to send them there.

The best they could do was to send the Masyaf keys back to the Brotherhood in Syria via mail and hope that they remained dormant long enough to get back to the proper people.

Of course, that begged the question of where the last remaining key was. She doubted that the museum had it somewhere, but it could've fallen into the hands of some unlucky archeologist somewhere. Or the Syrian Brotherhood could've grabbed it before those archeologists who emptied out Masyaf out.

Hopefully it was the latter.

Maya sighed, placing the four keys in a careful stack to the side. She started to rummage through the items, making sure to take the page of the Codex out and place it with the artefacts. She forward, rubbing a hand over her brow. Events were going too fast for her to comprehend, too fast for her to even take a break for one second. She and Eric were headed on a road that wasn't planned. Maya felt that the day they arrived in Jasper, their destiny was inadvertently changed forever.

Her timer going off startled her out of her musing. She moved to wake up her brother, asking the questions and making sure he still had cognitive function. Once Maya was sure that he was okay still, Maya allowed him to go back to sleep. She relaxed herself, laying on the recliner that sat adjacent to the couch. Her eyes drooped despite trying to stay awake. This happened for several more times before Maya fell asleep.

She woke several hours later, her neck stiff from sleeping strange. She smacked her lips and scratched her scalp as she started to wake up fully. When Maya was fully aware of her surroundings, she saw Eric sitting at the bar in the kitchen, his head in hands and a cup of tea at his side. Maya stood and made her way towards her older brother.

"Hey. You okay?" She asked him quietly.

"Better than I was earlier today." Eric smirked dryly, though the smirk faded into a wince. "Though I could do without the pain." He took a sip of his tea. "So, was the mission a success?"

"The first part, yeah. Don't forget, we still need to contact the giant robots."

"What about the orb?"

Maya shrugged. She hadn't been able to examine it, as she had fell asleep before she could. So, she dashed to the guest room where the orb was hidden underneath all her clothes along with the other artefacts, grabbed it and brought it back to the kitchen. It was the same mysterious blue-grey orb they liberated from the museum. The designs were almost similar to the ones found on an Apple of Eden, but they were different, with strange letters etched around the orb. The letters looked close to the Chinese alphabet but that was only if you squint really hard.

"This doesn't look Isu in origin." Eric commented as he took the orb from her. Maya nodded in agreement.

"I know. The runes don't look similar to anything found in the Precursor Temples." Maya muttered. She watched as her brother examined the orb. She spoke up again, "Also, compared the other Apples, this orb is, like, twice the size of a normal Piece of Eden."

"Yeah, I noticed." Eric smirked, bouncing the orb in his hand up and down in his hand like a basketball. Maya snatched it away from her brother, the both of them laughing happily. Suddenly, the orb started to glow a bright blue. Startled, Maya dropped the orb, wincing as it clanged and bounced several times before rolling to a stop in the middle of the kitchen floor. The two of them were frozen as they watched the orb, its glow lighting the kitchen up with its blue light. Maya's head snapped towards the garage, where they heard the door open noisily. She acted immediately, grabbing the orb and the artefacts before dashing towards the guest room. She unceremoniously tossed the items into the room on her bed, taking a deep breath to calm her beating heart.

The orb was still glowing when she slammed the door.

"Hey Maya." Jack greeted her when she entered the kitchen again.

"Hey Jack. How was your day?" She asked as she grabbed a slice of pizza that Eric had made to warm up.

"Good." There was a hesitance to him, which Maya found weird.

"Is everything okay?"

"Uh, I was wondering…career day is in a few weeks and we have to bring someone in."

Maya listened as she munched on the pizza with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't you bring June? I'm pretty sure that a nurse would be interesting to have in the lineup. Along with the firefighter and doctor."

Eric nearly chocked on his pizza when he tried to hide his snort.

Jack smirked to but it was a stiff one. "Mom has already done the career day. And frankly, the other parents are awful to her, and I don't want to put her through that again."

"I'll do it. Jack." Maya assured him quickly. "Of course, I don't think an assassin for hire would be very interesting."

Jack started to laugh a little, but Eric sent her a warning look. Maya shrugged.

When Jack stopped laughing, he grew serious, cocking his head in curiosity. "What _do_ you do for a living, Maya?"

"I'm a freelance photographer for a newspaper in New York." Maya answered. "It's not the best pay but I think I'm pretty good."

"'Pretty good'? She's got several offers from several well-to-do studios to show her work." Eric cut through. "And she's pretty stupid to turn them down."

"What can I say?" Maya asked, shrugging. "I don't care for those snobby people. Besides, you don't have the right to say anything about my career choices. You've been rejecting several high-end contractors who've been wanting your very good building skills."

"They wanted me to demolish apartments where people live and those people don't have anywhere to go." Eric snapped. There was a moment of awkward silence, one that Maya took to send her brother an apologetic look. She knew that happened, knew that her brother had gone through great lengths to keep that those desperate people from losing their homes, almost to the point where the Brotherhood was almost compromised. But thankfully the evidence was circumstantial at best, so the court allowed it to go, saying that the contracting company that enlisted her brother's business had no right to demolish the homes. The company was sued by the state, the money divided among the people who lived in the poor district.

Ever since the incident, Eric had been wary of those who hired him and his crew until he left and became a bartender. Though he did keep tabs on his former crew.

"So, you'll do it?" Jack asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Of course. Just tell me the date, time, location and what I need to wear and bring." Maya smirked. "I doubt that they would allow me to wear short shorts and a tank top."

"I'll get you the information as soon as possible."

Maya smiled as Jack left, heading to the back. Then, she heard a beep from her watch. It was time for the two to go and contact the giant robots. She glanced up at her brother, her eyes asking if he was okay to do this. He nodded, his jaw clenched and his eyes bright. Maya nodded, and the two quietly started to gather up their things, including the orb.

The two left quickly. Maya and Eric went as far from Jasper as they could get. When they arrived in the middle of the desert, the sky shockingly clear from the lack of light pollution, Maya and Eric started to set up the things. They pulled the orb out, which was still glowing, albeit softly, and hooked it up to the amplifier that they brought. It was difficult as there were no visible ports in which they could plug the cords in, so the two had to be a bit creative. But they managed to do it, and soon enough they sat around, waiting to see if something happened. Maya ended up playing on her phone, bored out of her mind after waiting for about an hour and a half before suddenly there was a bright green light.

It appeared to swirl until it was a blue-green portal. Maya's heart was pounding hard as the two stood, unsheathing their Hidden Blades. She felt anxious as the portal swirled, her mind spinning. She felt as anxious as she felt on her first mission, but Eric's calm presence seemed to soothe her anxiety, keeping it from bubbling up to the surface and keeping her from doing something rash.

Just like her first mission.

"Brother, what if the giant robots end up being evil?" she whispered as shadows appeared inside the portal. Shadows that looked disturbingly like the titans they encountered at the MECH compound continued to grow until differences could be made out. Eric was silent, as if he was unsure how to answer the question. She tried again. "Brother, what do we do?"

"We run as fast as we can." Was his answer. Maya bit her lip, not really liking the plan. Maybe if Maya could get a running start, she could get her blade into the soft spots in the armor, as she remembered that the armor on the robots had chinks in it. Though she didn't know if she could stab her blade with enough force to actually puncture the wires or fuel lines.

The two Assassins tensed when the shadows stepped completely out of the portal. Maya relaxed slightly when she spotted the giant red and blue robot from the compound, as well as the black and yellow one. They were the only two that showed up, and when the portal vanished, a look of surprise appeared on the red and blue robot's face. Or, in his electric blue eyes showed surprise, as his lower face was covered in a battle mask of sorts. The four of them stared at each other, awkwardly and in an uncomfortable silence.

Eric, probably tired of the silence, stepped forward, disengaging his blade and holding his hands up. The robots tensed as he did so, as if afraid that he would do something bad to him.

"Please, we mean you no harm," he said slowly, raising his hands as if showing that he didn't have weapons. Maya gave her brother a confused quirk of her eyebrow, unsure of what he was doing. This was definitely not part of the plan. Eric gestured to the orb that was still hooked up to the amplifier. "If this belongs to you, then you can have it. But we need to talk."

The robot seemed to consider Eric's words. The moment was tense, as Eric tried to remain calm and relaxed. Maya, on the other hand, wasn't doing as good as her brother. Her fingers twitched, her adrenaline spiking and cold sweat rolling down the back of her neck. She wanted something to do, needed something to calm her nerves. Like a fight.

The robots and Eric had started to talk, the tensions and suspicions still high, when she heard something. It sounded like multiple jets. Her eyes were drawn to the night sky, where a triangle of five jets in the sky were quickly approaching. Maya tensed as the hairs on the back of her neck stood razor straight. The robots also noticed it, tensing back up and whirling around in time to see the black-and-dark-purple jets come into range. Maya watched, shocked, as the both robot's hands changed into weapons. The red and blue robot had a large blade and what appeared to a giant, single barrel gun, the black and yellow one wielding almost the same thing, although it was smaller and both of its hands changed. Eric backed up to where he was standing next to Maya, who was close to tears with anticipation. Her heart was pounding so hard she actually trembled.

"Are you okay, sister?" Her brother whispered to her."I don't think so." She whispered back. There was a tremor in her voice as the jets were almost over them. They suddenly went straight up, and Maya nearly vomited in fear as the forms shifted into that of bipedal beings that landed with a giant tremor that forced Maya and Eric to kneel. When they scrambled to their feet, they saw that there was one robot who looked different from the four dark purple robots that stood behind him. The one leading was a silver robot with large wings, sharp fingers and feet that looked like he was wearing heels (that little fact was something that pulled a little bit of her fear away, as it was almost a humorous sight). His eyes glowed a menacing red, unlike the soft, kind blue of the two robots that stood protectively in front of them.

"Optimus Prime." The grey bot growled. "So good to see that you are doing well. It's seems that you found the artefact too. The Decepticon cause thanks you." Eric shuffled his body a little bit to shield the orb, catching the eye of the grey robot. "What's this? More human pets? Well, they won't live long enough to know what they have gotten themselves into when we squish them into goo."

"I like to see you try, high heels!" Maya shot back, feeling a little offended that she and her brother had been referred to as 'pets'. She grabbed her pistol and shifted her feet. Eric did the same, though he looked more reserved in his actions.

"We shall see, human." The grey robot turned towards his own army. "Kill them all! And bring me the artefact!"

The peaceful night was soon shattered by the sounds of a battle between titans.


	8. Chapter 7

_"Comm/phone"_

"text message"

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

 **"Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 7

Maya and Eric found themselves to be at a disadvantage when it came to the battle.

Now, I know what you might be thinking, in the most sarcastic voice you could muster, _Two humans against five giant robots is considered a disadvantage? Inconceivable!_

But Maya and Eric turned the disadvantage to their advantage rather quickly. Eric noticed that the darkly colored robots were after the orb, and knew that the two brightly colored robots couldn't possibly hold their own in a two against five fight. So, he quickly sheathed his pistol before he turned to Maya, snatching the orb off the amplifier and dashing into the desert. He knew that Maya would hesitate for just a second (thankfully the robots seemed to forget about them for a moment so that hesitation didn't cost her anything) before following. By the time the darkly colored robots figured out that the orb was missing, Eric and Maya would be somewhere hiding. Of course, compared to a human, distance was nothing to a giant robot, so stealth wasn't exactly the twins' top priority. Speed was. With the orb safely clutched against his chest, Eric risked a look behind him.

And all but stumbled at the sight.

Two of the darkly colored robots had broken off of the main fight and were chasing after him and Maya. One was almost in arms reach of his sister. He needed to act quickly.

In one swift movement, Eric removed a small explosive from his waist and twirled around, twisting a little as he threw the bomb with deadly accuracy. He knew it probably wouldn't do any major damage, but thankfully it stunned the robot long enough for his sister to put on some speed and catch up to him. The second robot seemed almost incensed that his companion was temporarily blinded by a human. Its rage was matched by its sudden burst in speed, firing purple bolts at them, barely missing them.

"These robots could use some anti-Stormtrooper aim." Maya shouted as she tossed a small explosive of her own. The siblings had almost identical explosives that they kept with them, except hers were twice more powerful than Eric's own and she had better accuracy when it came to long distance shots. Hers hit the robot's chest dead center. It seemed to spark and twitch, clawing at its chest before finally it exploded. It fell dead, a giant hole in its chest. "Hit the center! It sends them down for good!"

"Kinda busy right now!" Eric shouted back. He was starting to slow down, the orb in his hand weighing him down. The robot was right behind them, reaching for them with its claw-like finger. They poured on a little more speed and Maya tossed several more of her explosives. But it seemed that the robot had learned, blocking them with its hand. There was little damage done, but enough to draw brilliant blue liquid from it. It made a low sound that sounded suspiciously like growling before it reached out and plucked Maya off the ground.

Eric was forced to slide to a stop, unsheathing his Blade and staring down the thing that had his sister. She was squirming in its clutches, trying to get free but the robot had her in an iron grip. Maybe too much of an iron grip as a moment later, she went limp, crying out in pain.

"Give me the artefact, fleshling." The robot ordered. If to punctuate the point that Eric had no choice, his free hand transformed into a single-barrel gun and pointed it directly at Maya.

"Don't do it Brother!" Maya shouted through clenched teeth. But Eric couldn't bear to see his sister get hurt, even if that meant giving up something they worked so hard for.

Thankfully, he didn't have to choose between his sister or give the orb up. As he was slowly kneeling to roll the orb over, his eyes caught movement in the shadows behind the robot. It was quick but he spotted the black and yellow robot. If it hadn't been for its bright blue eyes that stuck out against the darkness, Eric would've probably dismissed it as the shadows playing tricks on him. But that meant that the probable good guys were here, so he just needed to stall until the black and yellow robot was able to get into a position where he could take the dark purple one down without hurting his sister.

At least, he hoped that was its intent.

So, he pretended to quake in fear. He remembered when Desmond told the remaining Brothers about the Isu, how they created the humans for slave-labor. The Isu lived off the slave labor and the worship the humans gave them, giving the Isu a god-complex. Maybe it would work with the robot. Eric bent down until he was nose-to-nose to the ground. He made sure to grip the orb with all his might in case the robot tried to pluck it off the ground.

"Oh, terrifying demon. Please do not hurt my friend." He could only imagine Maya stopping her struggles to stare disbelieving at him. "I offer you this godly orb, in return that you leave me and my friend be."

He felt the robot take slow steps toward him, its gun whining as if it was charging.

 _Come on, black and yellow,_ he thought, almost panicked, _where are you?_

The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up before a loud crash permeated the night. He glanced up to see that the black and yellow robot engaging the purple in hand to hand combat. Eric noticed that it took special care not to hurt his sister, who was almost free. Finally, it got to the point where the purple robot needed both of its hands to fight, dropping Maya suddenly. Eric, noticing that she was in the thicket of giant robot feet that could easily squash her, started forward but stopped when he saw that she was hanging on to the purple robot's leg, placing something inside the soft parts of the armor.

A second later she launched herself off the leg, doing a backflip in the air and landing messily on her feet, scooting back towards her brother. She gave him a smirk moments before the purple robot started to twitch, hairs of electricity running up and down its body. It seemed to fight through it before finally it succumbed to the overload Maya put on its system and collapsed, its eyes darkening.

The two humans and the robot seemed to relax suddenly. Eric suddenly found himself drained of energy, sighing in relief when his sister hugged him. When they broke apart, Eric saw that her eyes were crinkled, almost as if she was smiling.

"Well," she said breathlessly. "That's one way to build a relationship."

Eric chuckled in response before turning to the black and yellow robot. It seemed almost…timid to approach, its brilliant blue eyes moving as if he was focusing and refocusing. The three of them stared at each other awkwardly before Eric decided to take the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, how's it going?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could. Of all the weird things he had done and saw over the years of him being an Assassin, talking to a giant robot that had saved his sister from another giant robot was probably icing on the cake. "I'm Brother." He gestured to Maya, who was sitting on the ground, her palms supporting her as she gazed upward. "This is Sister. What's your name?"

The robot tilted its head. Eric was suddenly reminded of puppies, curious puppies that tilted their head in the exact same way the robot was when something confused them. Suddenly the robot gave a series of beeps and whirs, but they were hesitant. Eric listened closely. He distinguished a pattern in the sounds, almost like Morse code. And he and his sister were excellent at cracking codes. Unfortunately, even though the robot was beeping slowly, all Eric caught was 'my' and 'bumblebee'.

"What's he saying?" Maya asked. She was now flat on her back, eyes staring blankly up at the stars. Her jacket was stained bright blue. The moon shining down on her gave it the appearance of iridescent moss.

"I…. think it said its name was…. Bumblebee?" Eric said slowly, his eyes still glued to the robot. It bobbed it head up and down fervently, almost looking like a bobble-head, as if it- or _he-_ was confirming. Eric smiled slowly. "Nice to meet you, Bumblebee."

Bumblebee stopped bobbing his head up and down as his hand went to the side of his head. He said something in short, quick beeps (too quick for Eric to catch) before turning to the two of them. Eric tensed but not too much as Bumblebee held out a large hand for him.

No, not him, Eric realized.

The orb.

Gently, Eric placed the orb in the giant robot's hand. It looked small, almost close to the size of an Apple in the giant robot's hands. The quietness was disturbed when Bumblebee beeped something, giving a two fingered salute. Eric hesitantly gave on back, unsure of what to do next. The three of them stood there in awkward silence, before suddenly the black and yellow robot transformed into a black and yellow Camaro Urbana and drove off.

"HEY! WAIT!" Eric tried calling for him but it was no use. The robot was already gone. He sighed, this was not how his plan was supposed to go. Oh well. Eric sighed heavily as he joined his sister in the dirt. The two stayed like that for a while, just watching the stars.

"So, what now?" Maya asked. Eric honestly didn't know. He expected to talk with the giant robots, not have them run off after a fight. Although the fight should've proved that the siblings had the best interest at heart. And the fight wasn't supposed to happen at all. "Wanna try again later?"

"How?" Eric sat up, rubbing his face while pulling down his mask. "I gave the orb to the robot."

Maya thought for a moment. "I have another idea. But….."

"But what?"

She sat up, pulling her mask down. Eric saw she had a wince on her face, which told him that it was something really…. risky. "We could send a message to the liaison."

"The robots have a government liaison?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow. He hummed. "Guess that's who they use to cover up everything."

"Yep. His name was in the file. If I remember correctly, his name was Special Agent William Fowler."

"Fowler…..Fowler….that name sounds familiar." Maya nodded.

"Fowler is the name of one of the prominent families in the Brotherhood, though the line died with Jacob Fowler, who left the Brotherhood after returning from the Korean Conflict. He died later in a Templar Raid. Apparently, he didn't tell his wife or children about being an Assassin so the Brotherhood just left them alone."

Eric took this information and placed it in the back of his mind for later. "One would think that the Templars would go after them in order to completely wipe out the bloodline."

"One would think." Maya agreed. "But the Assassins made sure to strike Jacob Fowler's name from the records as soon as they were given his will. Though there are still private accounts about him, which, of course, are hidden. That and the Assassins cut off all contact with the family. When the Templars noticed the lack of communications between the family and the Brotherhood, they started to leave them alone."

"Do you think that making contact with Agent Fowler will make the Templars interested in the family and try to go after them?" Eric asked after a moment of silence.

"Hopefully, the Templars are too busy with tracking down Mentor Williams and the remaining Brothers to notice." Maya slowly stood, only to stop and hiss in pain. Eric was on his feet in a moment, grabbing his sister's arm. His sister glanced up, the moon giving her eyes an almost alabaster color and texture. "Looks like I might've not escaped the battle unscathed."

Eric smirked. They just couldn't catch a break, could they? He helped her up, swinging her arm over his shoulder. "We'll take a look at that when we get back."

Maya nodded and the two made their way slowly back to the bike. The trek was slow and there was a moment of panic when Eric couldn't remember where he had left the bike. The battle happened too quickly for him, but after five minutes of looking, he found it, along with the smashed bits of the amplifier. Maybe the giant grey robot hated it. Thankfully, though, there wasn't one scratch on the bike, and the amplifier wasn't too damaged. Some of the parts were used in Maya and Eric's motorcycles, and since Maya was about to rebuild her motorcycle, Eric gathered up some of the useful parts and stuffed them into a bag. He grunted in disappointment when he noticed the part used for the tracking system was completely destroyed beyond repair.

He would have to cobble one together by hand.

"How's it looking?" Maya asked from her position by the motorcycle. Eric sighed heavily through his nose as he strolled towards his sister, sack clutched in his hand.

"Salvaged what I could," he answered. He tossed it to Maya, who opened it and looked around. "Not much we can use, but enough for us to not scour the entire state for any parts. Though I will have to cobble together a new tracking device."

Maya's face scrunched a little. "It won't be as strong as yours."

"I know, but unless you want to add stealing from the government to our list of criminal acts, then by all means go right ahead." She pouted, but Eric, feeling drained and more than a little tired, rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Let's just get going. I'm tired."

"Same." Maya yawned hugely. Eric took a moment to yawn as well, tears coming out of his eyes as he did so. He straddled his motorcycle and the two made their way back towards Jasper. They were the only ones on the road, which made it creepier, but Eric tried not to think about it too much. He pushed the speed limit as much as he could, knowing full well that there were state troopers from here to the next town.

He managed to get the two home safely without much incident. The house was dark and silent. Maya and Eric silently snuck in through the guest window, which they left open a crack before leaving. After climbing into the room, both Assassins collapsed onto their beds. Their muscles were aching and Maya hissed, causing Eric to forget his tiredness. He sat up and made his way over to his sister. He gently lifted her shirt, wincing at the mass of bruises that littered her chest.

"Guess that robot did more damage than I thought." Maya muttered. Eric smiled softly, before he started to help Maya. There were bandages in the bathroom, which Eric snatched from the counter and dashed back to the bedroom. Maya seemed on the verge of sleep when Eric returned, so he made sure to be as gentle as he could when he was wrapping up her chest. When he was finished, Eric turned towards his bed and collapsed face down. He didn't even think about changing out of his robes as exhaustion finally took him down.


	9. Chapter 8

_"Comm/Phone"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

 **"Bumblebee Speak"**

Chapter 8

Maya sighed tiredly as she examined the military base in front of her. It had bene only five days since the incident with the giant robots and she and Eric had been busy trying to track down Special Agent William Fowler. They had been going off many rumors and surveillance, finally narrowing it down to a military base just a couple miles outside of Jasper. When they had first came to the base, they decided that it would frugal to stake the place out before they went ahead with finding the government liaison.

And tonight, after almost a week of learning the guard changes, the patrol routes and the comings and goings of Agent Fowler, they were ready to sneak into the base.

Only problem was that there was an unexpected visit from some higher up. Patrols had doubled and were more frequent, making all the nights spent watching the base and gathering information pointless.

"What do you think brother?" Maya whispered. Eric was silent for a moment, watching the convoy trucks enter the base, one of them no doubt carrying the general. He shook his head.

"I think we need to leave." He whispered back. "We can't risk compromising the Brotherhood. There's just no way we can make it in and out of the base without being seen with this much activity."

"But Agent Fowler's office is right over there!" Maya hissed, pointing at the only window in the compound whose lights were on. The two siblings could see movement in the office, and it was only one person. "If we're going to do this, then now's the time. We need this alliance, Eric. Otherwise, the Brotherhood will be wiped out for good."

There was a moment where Maya thought that Eric was going to say no again and drag her away from the base. But instead of shaking his head and ordering her to head back to the motorcycle, he sighed and nodded.

"Okay. Okay." Eric sighed. "But we _need_ to be careful. No telling what they would do to us if we were caught sneaking around the base."

"Oh, I definitely know what they would do to us." Maya whispered as the two started to bellycrawl stealthily towards the window. They paused occasionally as the search light moved over where they were keeping low before it left them, and they continued.

"Really? What?"

"Probably shoot us on sight."

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Maya heard Eric stop in his movements, but she continued. Eric could go ahead and head back to the motorcycle. She would continue. With MECH backing the Templars, the Assassins won't last the next half decade. Giant robots would be the _perfect_ allies to help them.

Maya continued, ignoring the sounds of her brother behind her until they managed to get underneath the window. Her heart was pounding as she examined the hole in the barbed wire they had made in order to get inside. It would only be a matter of time before the patrol discovered it and sounded the alarm.

And she could hear them right around the corner.

"Come. On." She hissed at her brother. He was lingering near the fence, something that was very much unlike him. When it appeared that he was going to be caught by the patrol, he managed to dash into the shadows.

"This is a very bad idea." He whispered as the two waited for the patrol to pass them. When they did pass, Maya had to refrain from strangling her brother, and instead glanced up ot the window. It wasn't too far above them and could easily be reached if they had a jumping start. The two also heard sounds of Agent Fowler talking to someone, probably on the phone.

"Yes, I realize that." The two heard him say. There was silence before the government man spoke again, this time with full irritation. "Look, I just need you guys over there to get your act together and track down MECH! We've got enough to worry about with them hacking into our system again. What did they take? Just about everything, including the whereabouts of the Autobots! So, I want you to get your butts in gear before I come down there myself. And believe me, you don't want that. Am I understood? Good. Have a nice evening."

Maya took a deep breath, wondering just how they were going to be able to sneak into his office. With the way the man spoke, it sounded like they were trying to figure out who hacked the file. She was pleased that they hadn't realized that the point of downloading had been in Jasper, Nevada. But from the tightness in the man's voice, it wouldn't be wise to just sneak up on him. He could be a trigger-happy person when he was angry, and Maya had a feeling that she nor her brother wanted to get shot so far away from a hospital.

Her started to scan the surrounding areas, ears perked for patrols, when suddenly her eyes caught something.

Power cords. Leading straight into Agent Fowler's office.

A smile formed on her lips.

Her brother caught sight of it and cocked his head, his eyes asking, _what's that smile for, Maya?_

She pointed to the power lines. _How quick can you get that window open?_

 _About a minute. Why?  
Just be ready. _Maya moved away from Eric and over the power lines. She flicked her wrist and engaged her Blade. Eric seemed to have caught on to what she was doing and moved into position. His blade slid out, and he carefully placed it in the space between the windowsill and the window, ready to be moved upwards when the lights when out.

Maya waited until Eric glanced back and nodded before she silently started to count backwards from three. They would only have a limited time to enter the room until the backup generator kicked in, so they would have to be quick.

 _3…2…...1…..GO!_

In one quick movement, her blade slit the wires of the powerline. She made sure to yank her hand back as quickly as she could to avoid electrocution from the now exposed, sparking wires. Almost immediately as the cut was made, Eric slid open the window in a single smooth motion, just in time to hear 'WHAT THE HELL?' coming from the window they were sneaking in.

Eric was the first to enter the room, moving to the far corner by the door, nothing more than a shadow. Maya was second, shutting the window and standing tall and defensive almost as soon as the backup generator kicked in and the lights turned on.

Agent Fowler's expression would've been hilarious, if not for the fact that he was pointing a gun at Eric.

Maya immediately knew that she needed to be the diplomat, since her brother was no doubt freaking out about staring down the barrel of a gun.

So, holding up her hands in a placating gesture, she moved forward. She froze when the gun was pointed to her, but she just stayed where she was.

"Nice to finally meet you, Agent Fowler." Maya greeted with as much sincerity as she could muster. The gun, which had been steady, was now starting to shake, but Agent Fowler just continued to glare.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"We're not with MECH if that's what you were wondering." Eric spoke. Fowler's stoic expression shifted into a scowl.

"I don't care who you're with-"

"We are Assassins," Maya spoke. She caught Eric's eye, warning her against saying too much, but she shot back a look that said 'I know' before continuing, "We're looking for the Autobots. We have a…..proposition for their leader."

"And how do you figure I know what you're talking about?"

 _Oh, you're smart! Playing dumb is the best way to get anyone off your back._ Maya thought. She shot Eric another look before returning her gaze to the government agent. "We know that you know because your name was on the document as their liaison to the United States government. And besides, we heard you talking earlier."

The shaking was gone, replaced by a fierce look that had Maya worried that he was going to shoot them.

"We don't mean them any harm!" Eric quickly stated. Maya's heart was beating loud enough in her ears that it almost drowned out the conversation. "We want to talk them. Please. It is imperative that we talk to them."

 _Look at you, Eric. Begging like that._

But if it got them to the Autobots, then Maya herself would get on her knees and start kissing ass too.

Agent Fowler hesitated for a moment before lowering his gun. There was a second where he was just waiting for Eric to move himself from blocking the door before darting out and shouting for help. But he didn't.

Instead he just sighed, rubbing his forehead before sitting at his desk, muttering, "I'm getting too old for this," as he did so.

When he was situated at his desk, he gestured to the two chairs that sat adjacent to the desk.

"Please sit down. I have to make a few phone calls before we can leave, but it won't take long."

"If it's all the same to you, we're good standing." Maya stated icily. Agent Fowler just stared up at her for a moment before sighing. He picked up the landline, dialed a few numbers before waiting. While he was busy with that, Maya and Eric just lingered by the door, eyes and ears open for any sign that Fowler was doing something that would mean their capture. Eric handed her a couple of pills discreetly, which Maya took with hesitance.

They were their contingency plan in case something went wrong.

"Do you think we made a mistake in coming here?" Maya asked softly. Eric glanced at her before shrugging.

"A little late to ask that question don't you think?"

Maya didn't reply. She knew that she rushed things that night, but she wanted to get that alliance going as soon as possible.

"Okay. Thank you, General Bryce. Yes, sir. I will. Thank you." Fowler sighed as he ran a hand through his slightly greying hair tiredly. He glanced up at them. "I hope you two, whoever you are, think this is worth it."

"My name's Sister, that's Brother." Maya stated to the unspoken question to who they were. Fowler rolled his eyes.

"Very creative." He sarcastically muttered.  
"Well it was either that or Guy and Girl, so I think what we have going on is pretty original." Maya quipped. Honestly, what was wrong with their current codenames that had everyone had?

"Okay, _Brother_ and _Sister_ , we have an hour to get to the Autobot Base, otherwise we'll miss our chance. Let's go."

The two followed behind Agent Fowler as he left the office. Maya and Eric waited for a moment before leaving the office, unsure if they should be expecting a hail of bullets. But it was just an empty hallway, completely free of soldiers.

Agent Fowler led them, via the compound they were in, to where the helicopters were waiting. Maya knew that Agent Fowler was probably trying to keep the rest of the base layout a secret.

 _Heh. Jokes on him because we know just about every in and out above ground this base has to offer,_ Maya thought with a smile.

She was about to step foot into the helicopter when her brother brought up a great point.

"Don't we need flight suits? You know, to keep our organs inside our body?"  
"Won't need'em this flight, buddy." Agent Fowler stated as he climbed into the cockpit. Maya glanced at Eric, before shrugging, shouldering past him and entered the back seat. Eric gave a sigh, muttering something that Maya couldn't catch before following her lead. Both quickly strapped in and placed headsets on their head as the copter took off.

"He's taking a big risk taking only us and not a guard," Maya noted over their private sets. She eyed the man in front of her. "Don't you think?"

"Honestly, I'm just wondering how it was so easy to convince him to take us to the Autobots." Eric commented, his eyes scanning the dark desert below. "It shouldn't have been that easy. I mean, from the way he reacted, the way he played dumb told me that the Autobots must be big secret, known only to a few in the government."

"So, do you suspect something?"

"I don't know. Just….be prepared for anything."

"Aren't I always?"  
The two fell silent after that. Maya watched the landscape pass below, dark shapes that would've been familiar in the day time but now, were only indistinguishable. At one point, she heard Eric type something into his phone, probably a recall order for his motorcycle. It took about an hour, but eventually, they started to descend onto a large mesa. When Fowler parked the helicopter on top of an old helipad and Maya and Eric stepped out, Maya could see lights not too far away in the distance.

Jasper, Nevada.

She knew it. Maya took a deep breath of the desert air before turning on her heels and following Eric and William Fowler.

To hers and Eric surprise, they entered a small elevator, with Fowler in front and the two siblings behind. They traveled for about twenty minutes before the elevator stopped jerkily and the doors slid open. Fowler didn't hesitate to step out of the elevator, while Eric and Maya were a little more reluctant to do so.

It was only when they heard Fowler shout, "Prime!" did they finally muster up the courage to step out of the elevator.

And to say they were shocked would be an understatement.

Spread out before them was a large missile silo-like building, with a serene-looking face put on the floor. When they stepped off the elevator, to their left stood three large futuristic-looking computer screens and a grumpy-looking red and white robot. Its blue optics followed Fowler for a moment, its metal eyebrows furrowing in an all too expressive way.

"He's not here, Agent Fowler," the red-and-white robot informed the irate-agent.

"I need him to get his sorry tin-can back right now. I've got a situation."

It was only when Fowler gestured towards them did the red-and-white robot finally notice them. His already irate expression morphed into one of shock, then one of anger.

"Agent Fowler, it was on your government's order that we don't have any contact with anyone and yet you bring two unknown humans here?"

"Look, they tracked me down. Besides, they knew already."

"We encountered your kind twice," Maya spoke up. She hated the way they were talking about them. "Once in a factory several miles outside of Jasper, Nevada. It was during an engagement with MECH. One of yours was strapped down to an examination table and I was the one who freed her. The second was a couple nights ago, when we handed over an orb to two of your group."

"Well, I guess we can wait until Prime gest back," Fowler said as he directed the two siblings to a well-worn couch. "I've already gotten leave from General Bryce, so I've got all night."

Maya pouted as she plopped down on the couch. She wearily watched as the red-and-white robot shut down the computer terminals before turning and disappearing around the corner. Almost as soon as he disappeared, another, the one that Maya saved at the compound, appeared. She turned towards where the two sat like grounded children, surprise flittering over her metal faceplate. Maya gave a small wave before she continued to play with the fraying of her sleeve.

It was nearing midnight, and she and Eric both were on their way to falling asleep, a loud noise jolted them awake. They were able to rub the sleepiness from their eyes right as a black and yellow Camaro Urbana and blue and red semi-truck rolled in. Maya and Eric watched with an awe-struck expression as the semi-truck and Camaro's outer plating shifted. Soon, with both of their jaws on the floor, they were staring up at two giant robots.

"Greetings." The red and blue robot greeted. "I am Optimus Prime. Leader of the Autobots."

This day just got a whole lot better.

 **A/N: thanks for being patient guys. I've had to rewrite this chapter since I thought the previous draft wasn't as strong. This version might be a little better.**


	10. Chapter 9

" _Comm/phone"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

" **Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 9

During his time in the Brotherhood, Eric had seen and done just about everything.

He has seen temples and ancient laboratories that were built during the reign of beings that were as powerful as they were mysterious. He has held artefacts that predated humanity and were used when humankind was used for slave labor. He has peaked into the past and has experienced everything his ancestors had experienced.

However, talking with giant robots from another planet was something completely that took all those past experiences and made them look like every day occurrences to average people.

Eric and Maya listened carefully to Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. They were an interesting group.

According to the large mech, they hailed from a place called Cybertron, a planet destroyed from centuries of civil war with another group of Cybertronians. The Decepticons, led by the ruthless warlord named Megatron.

Eric shuttered at name. It just _sounded_ evil.

From the way Agent Fowler tensed in his peripheral, he could only guess that Megatron was even worse than Optimus was letting on. But neither Eric or Maya spoke until Optimus was finished. And when he was finished, neither knew what to say. The fact that the Autobots were here on Earth because their planet was uninhabitable no doubt broke Maya's heart, and the fact that they were still fighting this war, even though they were outnumbered a thousand to one, gave Eric a sense of hope that the Assassins could well indeed survive as well.

When the majestic robot was finished, Eric and Maya glanced back at each other, unsure of what to say.

"That's…. quite a story," Maya muttered.

"Indeed." Optimus agreed. "Now that I have finished explaining who we are, I would like to know who you are and why you have sought us out."

"We are apart of an ancient order. Though not as ancient as you Cybertronians," Eric added to himself. "Our enemies, the Templars, have allied themselves with MECH. We fear that the alliance while wipe our kind off the map forever since MECH has more advanced weapons than the Assassins will ever have. And in warfare, there is a saying: enemy of the enemy is my friend."

"We hope that our helping one of your soldiers and getting that orb for you proves that we have no ill intent towards you and your kind." Maya added. Eric watched in tense silence as Optimus glanced over at the others who had, at some point, joined to listen to their conversation.

"If you'll excuse me," the large Cybertronian said before he stalked towards the small crowd. Eric could feel his anxiety spike when he realized that Optimus was talking with his soldiers to their opinion on what to do. A leader that asks for his follower's opinion is one that could find a great deal of wisdom, but it also meant that if the majority ruled that the wouldn't have anything to do with them, then it meant that Eric and Maya could be up a creek.

And in more ways than one unfortunately.

"What are they going to do to us if they decide not to form an alliance?"

Eric found himself suddenly marking every single possible exit that could be used. He also tensed, ready to use Agent Fowler as a hostage to be able to get out if needed. He didn't want to do that, especially considering that Agent Fowler was technically an honorary member of the Brotherhood, but it could be figured that the Autobots wouldn't dare do anything to harm their liaison.

"Be ready to move if they turn hostile." He whispered back. Maya nodded, shifted her position from his right to his left so that if needed, she could grab Fowler easier.

The two waited tensely for what felt like an eternity, watching the Autobots discuss. Eric paid more attention to their facial expressions and body language since he couldn't hear their words. It seemed most of the aliens were on the fence about an alliance, but the two that seemed to be for it was Bumblebee (he thought that was his name) and the female robot that Maya freed that night in the warehouse. The candy-colored stripped bobbed his head up and down, almost like he was excited for something while the red-and-white robot seemed to be the only one who looked grouchy. The large dark green one just looked indifferent.

Finally, as one, the six Cybertronians turned towards them. Eric's heart was pounding really hard as Optimus started to speak.

"It has been decided that you and the Autobots will be allies until such time."

Eric gave a sigh of relief at the announcement. "Thank you, Optimus. You don't understand how relieved I…... _both_ of us are at this decision. And we promise that we'll keep your secret from the Assassins."

"Uh we didn't agree to this, Brother," Maya hissed softly.

Even though they didn't really talk about it, Eric knew that with how chatty the Assassin radio chatter was. If the Templars heard that the Assassins had an alliance with giant alien robots, then they might go and look for the Decepticons. That would be a messy situation in of itself, considering that both wars, the Autobots' and the Assassins' war would get thrown into the public eye and also cause mass chaos and death.

Even though Eric and Maya had only been told of Megatron, they dreaded ever meeting him due to how ruthless and bloodthirsty he was.

He and the Templar Grand Master would fall in love with each other. If they had the capacity for love, that is.

"Your discretion would be best." Optimus said regally, drawing Eric out of his thoughts. The man nodded, before glancing over at his sister. She looked weary and disheveled, looking very much the way he felt at the moment. He glanced down at his wrist just as a notification that his bike had arrived popped up.

"We have to be going." He announced, turning towards the elevator. "Hopefully, we'll see each other again sometime soon."

Optimus nodded solemnly as he watched the two humans leave. When the elevator door was closed, the leader of the Autobots turned towards Agent Fowler.

"Agent Fowler, it would well to keep what has transpired here tonight from your superiors. That is until we are able to determine the nature of our new allies."

The government liaison sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was getting too old for this.

Briefly, he wondered if his father had experienced days like this.

 **A/N: So, thanks to my wacky schedule this time of year, I have been posting chapters erratically. As of today, I will be posting on the 11th and the 25th of each month. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10

" _Comm/phone"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

" **Bumblebee speak"**

Interlude 1: Jack Darby 

Jack Darby smirked as he walked out of his room and into the kitchen.

Today was Career Day at his school and, a couple of days before, Maya had volunteered to fill in for his mom since she was working that day.

The raven-haired woman was wearing an outfit that Jack never thought he would see his badass cousin wearing. She wore a white button-down shirt with a black blazer, black slacks and black flats. Her half-shaven head was combed back to where it looked like she had an undercut. She and Eric were throwing grapes into each other's mouths, like siblings do.

"Morning guys!" Jack greeted as he grabbed a bowl and poured him some cereal.

"Hey Jack, watch this!" Eyes alight, Eric launched a grape from his spoon and straight into Maya's mouth. Jack chuckled at the sight of his older cousin standing suddenly and acting like she just scored a touchdown.

"Works every time!" She exclaimed. Jack sat down in between the two siblings. He got three bites of his cereal before Eric stood up suddenly and lunged for Maya's teacup. The woman was a second behind, so the man was able to grab the teacup and moving towards the sink.

"Eric!" Maya whined.

"You know what caffeine does to you." Was all he said before unceremoniously dumping the tea down the drain.

"No taxation without representation." Maya shouted mockingly before she took a swig of her water that was sitting previously untouched.

Jack chuckled before glancing at the clock, wincing at the time. The first bell would ring soon. "I'll see you in a little bit Maya."

"Same." She said as Jack entered the garage.

"Hey Arcee," The sixteen-year-old greeted softly.

His seemingly normal-looking motorcycle answered a bit tersely, "Hey Jack."

He didn't know what was wrong with her, but he was used to her mood swings by that point. It took him all but twenty minutes to get the school, just in time for the morning bell. He made a show of parking Arcee outside the school before shooting up the stairs.

The first half of the day was dull. Nothing but lessons.

But after lunch was when things started to get a little more interesting. The line up of people who came for career day was indeed as Maya had joked. The typical firefighter, doctor, and policeman was there, but among them was a ballerina, photographer (Maya) and a rock climber. An interesting combination of people, but it worked to entertain the teens.

Jack was excited to see Maya's presentation but before she could come to the front, she got a call. She stepped outside to take it and didn't come back. Jack never got the chance to text her to see what was wrong, as he wasn't supposed to have his phone out.

So, he just sat there wondering.

When the day was up, Jack had to stay for a couple of minutes but when he was finished, he was ready to head to the base.

Arcee had waited for him, and after a discreet hello, the two took off. They drove a couple of miles outside of Jasper, heading straight for the giant mesa. Instead of stopping at the stop sign and going either left or right, the two sped past the stop sight and kept going straight. Right before they hit the wall of the mesa, a door opened up and allowed them entry. Arcee pulled up in the middle of the main room, where Miko and Raf were already. The two other kids were lounging on the catwalk, waving at Jack as he removed himself from Arcee and made his way up the stairs. Behind him, Arcee transformed and stalked away somewhere.

"Whatcha guys doing?" Jack asked as he placed his things down next to Miko and Raf. They were in the middle of an intense racing game, so Jack's question went unanswered. The sixteen-year-old just shrugged as he started on his homework.

The three teens continued this, switching who was playing the video game and who was doing homework, for a good hour before an alert went off. Bumblebee, who was on monitor duty while Ratchet was off doing something important, pressed a button. He beeped and whirred, which caught the children's attention and interest.

"What's he saying?" She whispered. Since Bumblebee couldn't talk normally, due to an injury sustained during an encounter with Megatron during the war, none of the humans could understand him, other than Raf of course. So, whenever Bumblebee spoke, Raf was always quick to translate for those that couldn't understand his beeps and whirs.

"He's asking for identification."

A voice that none of the teens recognized spoke. _"_ _Hey Bee! How ya doing? Could we trouble you guys for some back up or something? Sister and I seem to have found ourselves caught in a sticky situation."_

In the background they heard gunfire, which was obviously human guns and someone speaking in the background, clear.

 _"Well, we wouldn't_ be _in this situation if you hadn't 'accidentally' sneezed and alerted the entire freaking compound."_

 _"You know it's flu season! And that compound was way dusty! You would think that the Templars would have some sense of cleanliness."_ The male voice seemed to remember that he was supposed to be talking with someone other than his companion. _"_ _But yeah. We could totally use a way out of this situation."_

After the male voice rattled off their coordinates, Bumblebee gave a series of beeps and whirs that Raf translated as 'I'll get the groundbridge up and running immediately'.

The teens watched as the scout typed in the coordinates before pulling down the lever. The portal flared to life immediately, and almost a minute later, two adults clothed in black appeared on a motorcycle, sliding across the floor followed by orange flames and a thunderous roar that could only mean an explosion. Bumblebee quickly shut off the portal, the kids wincing at the sudden intense heat and scraping sound the motorcycle made as it continued to slide against the floor. The motorcycle didn't stop until it almost hit the far wall, the two adults on it hanging on for dear life.

When it did stop, the two people removed themselves from underneath it. Both of them were breathing rather heavily and stood rather shakily.

"That. Was. Awesome!" The smaller figure exclaimed after a moment of silence. She pumped her fists in the air excitedly.

Jack immediately started to look over the two in suspicion. He noticed that they were dressed alike, but not identical. Both wore dark jackets and clothing with hoods, but the smaller figure, probably a female, wore a longer jacket with pointed ends and had a more pointed hood. The taller figure, most likely male from the size of his broad shoulders and muscles peeking out from underneath his jacket, wore a more modern jacket with a rounded hood. Both wore a what looked like leather guard with a mechanism on the bottom but the female's right hand was metal. Strapped to both of their waists were pistols.

The male figure took a deep breath as he leaned against the wall. "That was _close._ " He gave a huffing laugh as he slid to the floor. "You have a very different definition of awesome, dear sister."

"Whoa." Miko whispered. The two strangers seemed to have superhuman hearing as they both snapped up their heads at the soft sound. Jack froze as dark grey eyes stared back at the three teens. He could easily read uneasiness in the man's eyes as he moved in front of the younger looking person with a protective air about him. The stranger's eyes shot to Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, could you inform Optimus that we have popped in for a visit."

The scout nodded, probably fully aware of the sudden tenseness in the air. Everyone watched as the scout carefully darted away, off to look for the last Prime. That left the three teens alone with the mysterious people.

Finally, it seemed the female got bored of the tenseness and moved out from her friend's protective shielding.

"Sister." The man hissed.

"Brother." The woman hissed back mockingly. "Don't worry. They don't look dangerous at all." She turned her dark grey eyes (probably even more piercing than the man's) to the three kids. Jack took a page from the stranger's book and stepped in front of Miko and Raf protectively. The woman immediately backed off, almost recognizing the way the young boy stood, but still waved amicably at them. "Hi there! The name's Sister, and this is Brother. We, uh, didn't know that there were others that knew about the Autobots."

"Especially civilians." The man said, resuming his position leaning against the wall. It looked casual, but Jack had a theory that he probably was just looking like he was relaxed, so that if anything would happen, he could leap into action easily.

And judging by those muscles, Jack didn't hesitate that he could take almost anyone.

"How do you know about the Autobots?" Raf asked, peeking out from behind Jack.

The woman scratched the back of her neck with her non-metal hand. "Weeeelll, we kinda…. met accidentally and I sorta saved one of them. And we were in quite a pickle earlier, and they were the only ones that could reach us in time."

"I am _never_ raiding another factory for a while." The man muttered.

Miko took this opportunity to speak up, oblivious to the danger that she could be in as she fired off a bunch of questions. "Ooooooh, are you guys like ninjas? Is that why you're in black and hide your face? Do you work for the government? What was that explosion back there? Are you guys like superheroes or something?"

Both seemed to looked confused at the rapid-fire questions, as Miko had a tendency to not breath when asking questions about a subject that excited her. When the Japanese exchange student paused to take a breath, the woman looked like she was about to answer, when they heard the sounds of pedes coming their way. Optimus Prime stood right behind them, and yet, Jack noticed they looked awfully calm for people who were so close to a thirty-foot-something alien robot.

"Welcome back, Brother and Sister." Optimus's timber voice cut through the silence. "I did not expect to see you so soon."

The man-Jack figured his name was the Brother-shrugged, pushing off the wall to stand by the woman. "Sorry about dropping in so suddenly, Optimus, but we were in a bit of trouble, and we didn't know who to call."

He suddenly seemed to get jelly-like knees as he wobbled a bit. His friend moved to help him, easily supporting him and helping him to move towards the stairs. Jack moved to help but it seemed as the female had everything under control, talking to Brother quietly. He did hear Brother give a huffing laugh again.

"We almost _died_ Sister." The man snapped. "It was a lot closer than usual. Of course, I'm not okay."

"What happened?" Jack heard Raf ask timidly. Optimus nodded his head solemnly.

"I too wish to know what transpired."

The man, looking ashamed, turned his head, silent. The woman looked sad but stood up and took a deep breath before speaking.

"It was supposed to be a rescue mission." Her voice was filled with so much guilt that it actually hurt Jack to hear it. "Some Templars had a couple of prisoners they were hoping to exchange for a Piece of Eden. But Brother and I knew they weren't going to just hand them over after they got their hands on an artefact. We were going to sneak in, free the prisoners and get the heck out of dodge before the Templars even knew we were there. But…..we were too late."

The woman's voice seemed to break as she spoke, so Brother continued the story. "We broke in easily enough, but they had already executed the prisoners. Decapitated them and placed their heads on spikes outside of the compound. Then my allergies acted up and our cover was blown. We got into a firefight and when Bee opened up the portal, Sister hit a barrel of oil they were going to use to burn the bodies and the whole thing erupted in flames."

"I am sorry." Optimus said.

"Nothing you could've done, Optimus." Brother assured the giant titian. His next words were directed over at Sister. "Nothing any one of us could've done."

"Like hell there was something we could've done! We could've realized they weren't going to play fairly! We could've realized that the Templars are bunch of bloodhungry psychopath that don't give a fuck about anything other than power!" Sister suddenly shouted. Jack backed up, placing his hands over Raf's ears. She glanced up, and in spotting Raf, looked away, shame glittering in her eyes. "Forgive me. I…. didn't mean to snap like that."

"It is understandable." Optimus assured her. The leader of the Autobot turned to Jack. "Please contact Nurse Darby. I believe they are in need of a checkup."

"Sure thing." Jack said. He snatched his phone out of his pockets and started to dial his mother's phone, completely missing the looks of startled surprise on the two cloaked figures' faces. Instead, after talking to his mother and asking her if she could come down to the base to check two people, he watched the two climbing the stairs. But it wasn't like climbing. It was more like they were literally forcing themselves up the stairs.

"All I wanted was some peace and quiet when we came here." Brother stated as he collapsed on the couch. Sister just plopped down on the floor.

"Well, you know how the Universe just _loves_ making our lives difficult." Sister stated. The woman lifted her head, obviously feeling the eyes of the teens on them. She sat up, the edges of her eyes crinkling and shining with a smile. "Go ahead, ask your questions." She patted Brother's leg, inciting a snore from him. "The old man's already asleep, so he won't get onto to me for saying things I'm not supposed to."

"Who are you?" Raf was the first one to speak up, his voice soft in awe.

The edges of the woman's eyes were still crinkled in what Jack assumed was a smile. "We, my young friend, are Assassins. Members of an elite order that has existed for centuries, uniting those who understand the world that we live in and the secrets that it holds."

"How long have you been an Assassin?" Miko asked.

"Oh, I don't know." The woman said thoughtfully. "I know I was an initiate when I was fifteen and spent four years in training. They thought I was too brash. But I was officially inducted into the order when I was nineteen. So, maybe ten years?"

"Cool." Miko was silent. "What's that on your hand? Did you lose your hand in a fight and then replaced it with a metal one?"

"Oh, no." The woman laughed as he looked down at her wrist, showing her metal hand. "My hand's fine. This here is a metal bracer. Keeps my hand from getting chopped off when I go into hand to hand combat."

"Awesome!" Miko was slowly crawling forward, Jack realized. He grabbed the young girl's foot and pulled with all his strength, dragging her back to where she was next to Raf and him. She didn't fight back, but pouted as she moved to where she was sitting on her butt.

"So, you guys kinda know how my brother and I met the Autobots, kinda." Sister said after a long moment of silence. "But, I'm curious how three teenaged civilians managed to meet them. I mean, they have a freakin' government liaison that probably covers everything up."

"Oh, well…...it's kind of a long story." Jack started.

"Try me." Sister prompted.

By the time Jack finished how the three of them met the Autobots, Jack's mom had pulled up and was starting to do a checkup. Brother had woken up at that point, startled by the nurse's car entering the corridor. June Darby was a little shocked to see two new faces among the people who knew about the Autobots, but not as surprised as the Brother and Sister looked when they laid eyes on Jack's mom. The expression was so fleeting and Jack couldn't see the full expression as half of their faces were covered by masks, but Jack had seen enough to know what stunned surprise looked like.

The Sister was the first to get a checkup. Jack watched as his mom prodded her chest but looked away when his mom all but yanked up the shirt. He did hear the gasp that came from his mom's mouth.

"What in the…...?"

"Those are a day old, Mrs. Darby." Sister assured her. Jack watched out of the corner of his eye as Sister shoved her shirt down. "Besides, they're healing. Brother made sure of that."

"How on Earth did you get those?" June asked as she shined a light in the woman's eyes, looking for signs of a concussion.

"Big purple robot that squeezed me a little too hard" She paused before thinking, "He was under orders from another robot that looked like he was wearing high heels."

"You mean Starscream?" Jack asked. The Sister just shrugged.

"I guess? Does he have an ear grating voice that sounds like he's talking through a cheese grater?"

"Yep."

"Hm. His name sounds a less ferocious now." Was all the Sister said as Jack's mom finished up with her checkup and moved on to the Brother.

When Jack's mother had assured the two strangers they were fine (other then the severely bruised chest), both of them left the catwalk and made their way to the motorcycle silently. Ratchet had long since taken his place back in front of the computers. The larger of the two people picked up the motorcycle, straightened and the two straddled it expertly. Brother started it up and, revving the engines a couple of times, before shooting forward. Sister gave them a wave before they disappeared.

Jack shook his head.

Nothing even surprised him anymore.

"Well, that was interesting." His mom commented after she sighed. June turned to Optimus. "Mind telling us who those people were?"

"We first encountered the pair on the mission to rescue Arcee from MECH. The Sister rescued Arcee, fighting off Silas to allow her to allow escape."

"She managed to take down at least a dozen soldiers with a single cartridge." Arcee commented. "Though both of them were caught off guard by Arachnid."

"Well, who isn't caught off guard by the creepy spider-bot?" Miko asked, moving her fingers to mimic an actual spider.

Jack shook his head. "Optimus, I don't mean to question your decisions, but are you sure that we can trust them?"

Arcee nodded in agreement to the question. Optimus was silent as he contemplated his answer.

"Trust is sometimes a two-way situation, Jack." Optimus stated vaguely. "I do believe that Brother and Sister are trustworthy enough, though I understand your and Arcee's hesitance. I will keep a close optic on them if it will help your conscious."

Arcee glanced down, sighing as she walked off somewhere, probably to sulk. Jack nodded as he turned to his mom, who looked extremely tired. She rubbed the bridge of her nose which had Jack worrying.

"You okay mom?"

"Yeah, it's your cousins." June muttered. "I know they're adults but sometimes they just…..."

Jack nodded in agreement, what happened the night before still fresh in his mind. "There isn't anything you could do mom."

Jack's mom smiled. "I know. We all have." June sighed again. "Alright. I've got to get going, I've got shopping to do."

"Bye Mrs. Darby." Raf waved as the raven-haired woman strolled down the steps. June waved back at the young boy. Jack plopped down on the couch as his mother drove off. He played on his phone for a little while, half-listening to how the Autobots were about to go on an Energon scouting mission. He sighed.

 _At least Maya and Eric have it easy,_ Jack thought as he heard the groundbridge opening up. _Not having to worry about anything like hiding a secret as big as the Autobots._

Jack sighed as he sat up.

"I'm bored." Miko's statement was right on cue. Jack nodded in agreement, and when he glanced around the base, he noticed a distinct lack of Autobots. Except Ratchet of course, whose optics immediately zeroed in on the raucous human adolescent as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Ah bup bup don't even think about doing anything mischievous." The red-and-white medic ordered. Miko placed a hand on her chest, feigning hurt.

"Why, Ratchet, it's almost like you don't trust me." Miko stated. Jack shook his head, intervening before there could be a squabble between the two.

"Hey Miko, I have some movies on my phone. Maybe Raf could hook it up to the television and we can watch some."

"Fine." Jack sighed as Miko seemed content in doing so. Not happy and certainly not what she probably wanted to do, but content in the option. "Got any action movies?"

"A couple."

"Okay, then put them on."

Jack nodded as he handed his phone to Raf, who dutifully took it from him. He plugged the phone up to the television, pressing play on the first action movie that popped up. The three of them sat there for an hour and a half for the movie, with Jack almost falling asleep during so. When the movie was over, he realized that he needed to get home. True, his mom knew that he was hanging out with the Autobots, but he still needed to adhere to his curfew.

"Ratchet, do you mind bridging me back to my house since Arcee's not here?" Jack asked. The Autobot medic nodded silently. His large servos flew over the keyboard as he typed in the coordinates. Once he was finished, Ratchet pulled the lever that activated the groundbridge. The portal exploded to life. Jack waved at his friends, nodded to the Autobot medic, before walking through the portal. It dropped him off in an alley not far from his house. The teen was grateful for that, not only did he run the risk of Maya and Eric seeing it, but the entire neighborhood. He walked the rest of the way enjoying the fresh evening air.

He opened the door to his home, almost bombarded by the smell of strong spices. Jack had to fight back a sneeze that tickled in the back of his nose as he walked forward. Maya and Eric were in the kitchen, cooking up something while June sat at the bar.

"Oh, hey cousin, how's it going?" Maya asked as she tossed her brother something. Eric caught it easily, dumping some of its contents into the pan that he held over the stove.

"Good." Jack sneezed. "Whatcha cooking?"

"Supper. What else?" Maya smiled at her answer. Jack had a sense of déjà vu when he took in that smile. His mind went back to the Sister, those mischievous smoky grey eyes. He shook his head, figuring that it was a coincidence.

"Take a seat here." Maya ordered. "Dinner will be dished out in a little bit."

"Just a little thank you for letting us stay longer." Eric put in. That had Jack blinking.

"What?"

Eric winced. "Oh yeah. Maya wanted to stay here longer, since we probably won't be able to see each other for a while. We already called our bosses and they gave us the all clear since we've basically collected a whole bunch of vacation days."

"Enough for a whole year. And as long as I get some pictures submitted, then I'm good." Maya wiped her hands on the rag at her waist, before holding up her fingers in a square. "I'm thinking desert scenes. Especially at sunset and sunrise. Oh, I can just imagine the photos! Maybe if I get a good spot, I can shoot one of the mesas." Maya gasped, cupping her hands against her cheeks.

"Calm down Maya." Eric ordered with a chuckle.

"I can't help but think about the beauty of the rays bouncing off the mesas, turning them a goldish color." Maya's voice sounded wistful. She sighed.

"Everything okay, Maya?" June asked.

Maya perked up a bit. "Oh yeah. I was just thinking. Before everything that happened, Father always talked about taking us to Europe. Especially Italy. But…..."

The mood turned dark for a moment. But Eric coughed, banishing the darkness that seemed to engulf them.

"Anywho, who's ready for some steaks!"

Jack never got around to ask where Maya went earlier that day.


	12. Chapter 11

" _Comm/phone"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

" **Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 11 

"Watch your stance!" Maya shouted as she went in for a roundhouse kick. Eric blocked the kick, fixing his stance after pushing his sister back. Maya smirked at the perfection in his stance before rushing him once again.

It was had been close to two weeks since the Assassin siblings met the Autobots, and almost a full month since they arrived in Jasper. The two were making full use of their time in the sleepy little Nevada town, despite originally coming here for rest and relaxion. They had made it their unofficial headquarters from which they worked to root out Templar and MECH hiding spots and wiping them out. So far, though, they've only been able to track down the Templars, as MECH was really good at keeping a low profile.

Some of the smaller raids on smaller hideouts had provided fruitful as they had turned up either locations of other Templar hideouts, names of Templar sleeper agents, and locations of First Civilization temples or artefacts that were being held in the hideouts. Up to that point, the two siblings had recovered at least three original pages of the Codex, which Maya had tested to prove their authenticity and brought their grand total number of pages up to four.

In regards to living with their extended family, Maya and Eric helped around the house, doing chores or cooking breakfast and dinner for those times that Aunt June had to work late or be at work at the butt-crack of dawn. The siblings took turn cooking, though Jack seemed to enjoy Maya's meals better than Eric's.

While most of the siblings' time was spent searching the surrounding area for signs of Templar or MECH activity, they also spent a fair amount of their time at the Autobot base, either training or, in Maya's case, working on her motorcycle. She was halfway finished with it when Eric suggested she take a break.

That, by Eric's definition, meant training.

Maya didn't have a problem with training though; she needed to keep up her skills in this time of relatively quiet from the Templars.

She took the offer. That's where they were now: with their hoods and masks down in the training room of the Autobot base, trying to beat the ever-living snot out of each other and trying to improve on their forms.

"Incoming!" Eric shouted. Maya had just enough time to scoot back as he came in with a flying kick. The raven-haired woman took less than a second to observe her opponent before leaping back into the fight. She ran forward, pulling out a couple of throwing knives from her bandolier. She angled them to where they glinted in the light of the room before flicking her wrist and letting them fly. The knives sang through the air. It was almost a musical sound, one that ended with a metallic twang as each of them embedded into the wall.

All but one.

The one that didn't embed into the wall hit her brother's jacket, pinning him to the wall. Maya smirked; she had him!

"Well, looks like the old man has finally been beat." Maya taunted as she shimmied over to where her brother was pinned to the wall. Suddenly, he removed the knife and started to swing it. Maya had been almost in his face, so she had to literally bend over to avoid her face being cut. Since she was already bending over, Maya decided to go all the way and do a handstand, flipping several times in order to avoid the fact that her brother was swinging the knife dangerously close to her face.

"Never underestimate your opponent," Eric reminded her as they faced each other. "Even if he appears to be beaten."

"Good to know." Maya quipped as she charged. She flicked her Hidden Blade out and started to slash at her brother. Eric soon had his Hidden Blade out, crossing the blades to where they were pushing against each other. Maya quipped, through gritted teeth, "Have you been getting back on the weights?"

Eric's smile was a proud one as he answered, "Yeah. Is it noticeable?"

Maya cocked her head as she pretended to think, a smile playing on her lips. "A little bit, yeah."

She grunted as she shoved her brother back. They stood there for a moment before Maya suddenly collapsed, exhausted and sweaty, on the floor. Eric fell a moment right after her. Both siblings were breathing heavy, staring at the ceiling. Maya smirked as she glanced over at her brother.

"Was it good for you as well?"

Eric huffed out a laugh before he stood stiffly to her feet. "You're funny. Let's call it a tie."

He offered a hand which Maya took. The two took a couple of minutes to stretch their sore muscles before leaving the training room and make their way back into the main room. Just about all of the Autobots were present, though the kids weren't, assumedly at school. Before they turned the corner, the siblings replaced the hood over their heads, but kept their face masks around their necks. They feared that trusting the Autobots with their identity would ultimately bite them in the butt later, but it wasn't like they were going by their real name. Just their alias. But they were careful around the children, especially Jack since he spent more time with them.

Maya and Eric had to think about what they said, in and out of the base. They had to be careful with their mannerisms, which broke the siblings' habit of doing them. Except for the nervous tick of scratching their neck, a habit which both of them figured was a genetic habit even though there was probably no such thing.

"Hey, how's it going?" Maya greeted Arcee. The two-wheeler glanced at them before turning to walk away. Maya scowled after her. Out of all the Autobots here, Arcee was the wariest of them, even though she was the one who allocated for the alliance. She didn't trust them to be by themselves in the base, which meant that their training session was probably watched from the cameras they had wherever. When the blue femme had turned the corner, Maya glanced at her brother with wide eyes. "Oooookay then."

"Hey what's with the spooky conspiracy board?" Smokescreen called where he was leaning over the railing. Maya and Eric, when they first arrived at the base that day, had set up a board which they tacked pictures along with names of their Templar and MECH targets. The pictures formed a triangle, from most important to least important.

The pictures of Silas, the leader of MECH, and Alan Rikkin, the leader of the Templars and the CEO of Abstergo Industries, were at the very top of the triangle.

Underneath their pictures, were other targets, which were unimportant when compared to the leaders like Silas and Alan. They were all connected by red string, with their names, ranks within the organization, and what their main job was underneath. Three out of five of the lower tier pictures were crossed out, one of them being Axel Montgomery, the slime ball the siblings assassinated before they came to Jasper. The other two were other lower level Templars that Maya and Eric had killed in the raids several days earlier, which was when they also liberated the other three pages of the Codex. Even though they still had a good bit of research, reconnaissance and tracking before they got to the top, the siblings were cautiously hopeful about the Assassins making a comeback.

And since the fact that they were utilizing the Autobot's groundbridge (secretly, of course), the siblings knew the Templars were probably scratching their heads, wondering how the infamous Brother and Sister were attacking all these locations that were miles apart from each other in a short amount of time. The siblings were also making it seem as though the attacks weren't planned, which they were, as the locations were soft targets, like small outposts with very few foot soldiers.

It was Maya's idea to use guerrilla warfare against their enemy, and it was working surprisingly well.

"That's our target board," Maya answered as the two siblings climbed the stairs. Her sore muscles protested at the climb but she pushed through it. She examined the board when she managed to reached the top. "We use it to keep track of all our targets. It's impossible to get to the upper-level targets directly, so we take out the lower-levels first and work our way up. Our dad used to say that, in order to kill a tree, you don't chop it down in the middle. You dig it up from the roots."

"That's…. a little disturbing." Smokescreen muttered, looking a little uncomfortable.

Maya shrugged. "You do what you've got to do in times of war."  
The sounds of large footsteps drew Maya's attention away from the bot in front of her. She smiled when Bumblebee rounded the corner. She and Eric had grown close to the yellow bot due to the fact that, aside from Raf, they were the only ones who could sort of make out what he was saying. And from the way the others treated him, it could be assumed that Bumblebee was the youngest Autobot on Team Prime. Aside from Smokescreen, that is.

Maya could understand about being the youngest on the team. When she was given full rank, she was the youngest Assassin in modern times to do so. No one seemed to believe that she earned her rank through hard work; she had to prove it. Not that she minded. It gave her a challenge, and challenges are her forte.

"Hey Bumblebee!" Maya greeted loudly. The yellow bot beeped in excitement as he lumbered over to the platform. "How's it going?"

 **"Great! What…...you?"**

"I'm good." She answered. She turned to where her brother was staring at the board, muttering to himself. "How about we go on a quick drive? I feel a little closed in."

 **"Sure!"** Bumblebee turned to Ratchet, who was glued to the computer screen. The Autobot turned back to her. **"Where…...want to…. go?"**

Maya thought about it for a moment. "I guess anywhere, really. I'm not in the mood for a specific destination."

 **"Come with…. on…patrol."**

"Awesome!" Maya exclaimed as she turned towards the stairs. She stopped to give her brother a kiss on the cheek before dashing down the stairs. "I'll keep my tracer on, and let you know if anything happens. Love you, bro."

"Uh, love you too, sis." He called after, sounding a bit confused. Maya figured that he was confused until Bumblebee transformed and opened his door, allowing for her to slide in the passenger seat. Bumblebee gave a single honk before speeding out of the base.

When they hit the highway, Maya let loose a happy whoop as Bumblebee pressed the gas. Her heart pounded in excitement as the yellow and black bot swerved sharply into the desert. Maya couldn't wipe the large smile off her face as Bumblebee swerved around the mesas that dotted the land sporadically. About twelve miles away from the highway, Bumblebee started to slow down before stopping completely. He opened the door for Maya, which she smiled and thanked him.

"My, what a gentleman!" She quipped as she stepped out. The air was exponentially cooler than it had been the past few weeks, signaling the coming of fall. According to the _FARMER'S ALMANAC,_ it was supposed to be the coolest fall that Nevada had seen.

Maya turned around as she heard Bumblebee transform behind her. She smiled up at the bot as the two started to walk through the desert aimlessly. Occasionally, they would come across a pile of boulders which they would both try to climb like they were little kids. But otherwise, they would just be walking around.

That is, until Bumblebee claimed that he picked up a faint signal coming from a ravine.

Maya didn't want to go back to the confinement of the base, so she managed to convince him to allow her to come. There was, after all, no activity so far and she could fight if the need arises, so there was no harm in letting her come with. The scout looked a little hesitant, but eventually caved, saying that if there was trouble, she had to promise to stay out of it. She remembered tales that Bulkhead had told her about how Miko would sneak off and get herself in trouble.

"Where do think the signal's coming from?" She asked as they entered the ravine. Since she could trust Bumblebee, she had removed her cowl and hood, but kept her eyes opened for anything that looked like someone watching them.

 **"Don't know."** Bumblebee answered as he scanned the area with his eyes before glancing down at the scanner in his hand.

Maya glanced around, eyes searching for anything that looked out of place in the rocky area. "What do you think could be causing the energy signature?"

 **"Could be…. Energon…. relic."** Bumblebee answered as he walked forward. Maya dashed after him, falling next to him in stride.

"What's up with these relics we've been hearing about?" Maya asked. "I mean, I've tried to ask everyone back at base, but I think that Arcee threatened them into silence."

Bumblebee gave something that sounded like an electronic chuckle. **"Arcee…...suspicious of everyone. Cost…...living during war. You…...careful of…. around you."**

Maya was able to figure out what the mute bot was trying to get across through the snippets of words that she could understand and nodded in agreement. In war, you had to be careful of who you put your trust in, as just about anybody could stab you in the back or betray you. Maya figured that since the Autobots were long-lived, their war probably stretched across the centuries. And since Arcee seemed to be the equivalent of a thirty-year-old (approximately), who had probably been betrayed at one point, she would never allow it to happen again.

"So, about the relics…"

 **"They…. from the vaults…...Iacon. Shot off-world…...Decepticons stormed…. city."**

"What's Iacon?"

 **"University city…...place where High Council met. It was also…...Optimus worked before…...Prime."**

"So, Optimus wasn't always…...Optimus?"

Bumblebee shook his head. **"Long story."**

"I know how that is." Maya muttered. The scanner started to beep wildly. "Looks like we might've found the signal."

 **"Looks like it."** Bumblebee agreed. He moved forward a little, crouching down behind a giant boulder and peering around the corner. Maya did the same, until Bumblebee moved out and gestured that it was safe for her. They entered a cave that seemed to go on forever. Her eyes scanned the darkness. She jumped a little bit when Bumblebee switched on his headlights allowing her to see better. **"Careful…. cave…. unstable."**

"Yeah, it does look like it could collapse at any moment." Maya muttered. She chuckled a little bit. "Man, Brother wouldn't be too happy about the fact that I'm doing this. So, we're going to keep this _our little secret._ "

Bumblebee nodded. **"Agreed. Wouldn't…...get on…...bad side."**

"No, you don't." Maya muttered in agreement. Her eyes scanned the shadows but didn't see anything. Bumblebee's scanner was still going crazy, but he didn't see anything either. He looked around, making a light whirling sound. It sounded like what Maya did when she was nervous. When the two reached the very back of the cave, and they still couldn't find the source of the signal, Maya gave a shrug. "Whelp. This is strange. No Energon, no relic, no nothing. Something must be wrong with the scanner or something."

 **"No…...here…feel it."**

"Okay, if you say so. Just hurry it up, will ya?" She relented. Maya gave a worried look over shoulder at the crumbling ceiling. If there was anything that spooked her out, it was tight, enclosed spaces (that and spiders). She was fine with them for a little bit but once she was standing still and her mind had caught up with her, it started to feel as though the walls were starting to close in.

 **"I think…relic over…somewhere."** Bumblebee muttered as he removed some boulders. Maya watched the bot work, using it as a distraction from her slight phobia. She moved closer, hoping to feel some type of protection from the increasingly growing pressure inside her.

But it wasn't just her.

Hairline cracks started to form in the ceiling, the action being hidden by Bumblebee's digging. Maya watched in fear as the cracks continued to spread before a slight tremor could be felt. Bumblebee froze.

"We need to leave. Now!" Maya whispered urgently, afraid that her words would cause the entire ceiling to collapse. Her heart rate was picking up, small tears forming in her eyes as an audible shift in the infrastructure of the cave could be heard. She let a whimper out as Bumblebee turned, grabbed her gently by the waist and started to run.

They didn't make it very far before the ceiling gave in.

Maya didn't remember much after that. All she saw was Bumblebee standing over her protectively as the darkness dragged her down.

She didn't know how long she had been out when she was awoken by the sound of worried beeping and whirls. Her eyes cracked open to see Bumblebee's bright blue eyes looking down at her in worry. Pain exploded from her head as she sat up, leaning up against Bumblebee's leg as she waited for a wave of dizziness to pass.

 **"…...okay?"**

Bumblebee's question almost went unnoticed by Maya as she fought to stay awake. She licked her dry lips, coughing a bit before answering hoarsely, "Fine. I'm fine. Just, trying to keep my lunch down. Are you okay?"

His face scrunched up in pain, as he shifted himself a little. " **Stuck."**

"Crap." Maya muttered in sympathy. "What even happened? How long have we been in here?"

 **"I don't know. Been…...while. You worried….out for…. while."** Bumblebee answered. Maya winced a little as pain made itself known, but when it did pass, she gazed around the area they were trapped in. She must've hit her head on something as her head was pounding and she felt like the small space was spinning. Also, her lungs felt like they were straining to get some air.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Maya asked after a while.

 **"I don't know."** The bot answered as he tried to moved a little bit. He gave a long whine that sounded almost like a scream. Maya stood up as the ceiling seemed to shake, and Bumblebee was forced to kneel lower.

"Bee! BEE, STOP MOVING!" Maya shouted. She hated to see the bot in such obvious pain. And she could only imagine how much pain the bot was in at the moment since the rocks were probably digging into a sensitive spot on his back. Once the bot stopped moving, and glanced down at her with such fear that it made Maya's heart break a little, she knew that even giant, alien robot that could transform into a car could get scared. "Okay. We're going to be okay. We just need…. we just need to stay calm."

 **"How…. get…. here?"** Bumblebee must've been trying to keep fear out of his voice, but Maya could hear it. Which meant that she had to be the calm one.

"I could try contacting Brother or the base." Maya suggested as she dug around in her pocket for her comm. Once she activated it, Maya placed it in her ear. "Brother? Come in. This is Sister. Do you copy? Hello? Autobot Omega Outpost? Do you copy? Do you-"

She was cut off from her attempts to contact help when all she got was static. The woman growled as she removed the comm. from her ear and shoved it back into her pockets. She racked her brain for another idea. If the comms didn't work, then Maya figured that those back at base wouldn't be able to track either of their positions.

And even if they could track their positions, it could possibly take hours for them to notice, as it was common for Bumblebee to initiate radio silence while on patrol. Maya figured that she had about three to four and a half hours of air left before she suffocated. Bumblebee was safe, as from Ratchet's small lecture of Cybertronian biology (one that the medic gave her when Arcee was _conveniently_ not at base), Maya learned that the bots had something of a built-in filter that kept toxic stuff out of them. However, even Cybertronians could get killed by a falling cave ceiling.

 **"What now?"** Bumblebee asked.

Maya didn't know what to tell him. She couldn't think of what else she could do. The air was becoming stale and her head was starting to hurt, making it hard to stay conscious. Worry started to build in her, worry that she would never get out alive, but that all slowly disappeared as she suddenly felt exhausted.

 **"Sis? Are you okay?"** Bumblebee's voice had her realizing that her eyes were closing.

"Just tired." Maya muttered. "I think…. I'm gonna…. close my eyes…...for a second."

Whatever Bumblebee was saying was lost to her as her mind became fuzzy. She was barely conscious as a series of events happened around her.

Bumblebee honking his horn and setting off his alarm for some reason.

Light filtering from somewhere as a rush of fresh air and a silhouette rushed forward.

Someone calling her name as darkness took complete control and she fell into oblivion.


	13. Chapter 12

_"Comm/phone"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

 **"Bumblebee speak"**

Chapter 12

Eric glanced over at the kids as they entered the base.

It was around four in the afternoon, about three and half hours after Bumblebee and Maya had left the base. He, at first, spent the first hour relishing in the silence, managing to list all of the new targets in order of importance and even decoded a good bit of the Codex pages they had in their possession.

The quiet was welcoming to the raven-haired man.

Eric loved his sister, but sometimes she could be a little loud. The man could sense that Ratchet felt the same about Bumblebee. The medic apparently got a lot done in the first hour since the two left as well, and since Optimus was in his quarters (probably) and Arcee and Bulkhead were somewhere, either on patrol, or watching over their charges and Smokescreen was somewhere, Eric wasn't sure, the two were able to work in complete silence.

But it was becoming apparent that something was up when neither Maya or Bumblebee contacted them around the start of the second hour. Maya wasn't one to skip out on checking in every thirty minutes, and apparently neither was Bumblebee, as Ratchet went back and forth from checking for Bumblebee's signal to working on whatever he was working on. Eric's slight worry become almost-full-blown panic when it was time to pick up the kids and Bumblebee wasn't back.

From what he was told about his and Raf's relationship, the yellow bot wouldn't miss out on spending some time with the young boy.

Even if he was on patrol.

"What's up with the carpool?" Miko asked as she and a rather confused looking Raf exited Bulkhead. A moment later, Jack and Arcee pulled up. The two Autobots transformed, Arcee glanced around.

"Are they not back yet?" The female Cybertronian asked. Eric shook his head no.

"They're not answering their comms either." He said, trying to keep the edge of nervousness out of his voice. "This is not like Ma-my sister."

He turned around, hoping that his mask would hide the blush that had unexpectantly appeared on his face. He never had a slip-up like that but he couldn't worry about that as his sister's and Bumblebee's disappearance couldn't possibly be connected to being out of range of communications. He checked his sister's location, and even though she was on the border of being out of range, he could still track her movements. And for the last few hours, it had remained stationary, filling his mind with thoughts about what could've happened to her.

"It's not like Bumblebee, either." Ratchet muttered under his breath. The medic muttered something further under his breath as he typed something into the computer. Eric turned around and started to pace while the children climbed the stairs to start on their homework. He took note of Raf's worried look that flashed on his face from time to time before Eric couldn't take it anymore.

He leapt off the railing and ordered Ratchet to open the groundbridge to Bumblebee's last known location.

"You're not going alone." The medic insisted. "There could be Decepticons or MECH out there."

"Then I'll take my pistol and my bombs with me, but I'm not just gonna sit here while my sister might be in trouble out there!" Eric felt that he was a little out of line when he snapped, but he wasn't going let Ratchet tell him that he wasn't going to help his sister.

"I will accompany him to search for Bumblebee and Sister." Optimus Prime's voice startled Eric a little bit. Since being at the base, the large mech kept to himself, mostly staying out of sight. Seeing him out and about felt…...strange to say the least.

Arcee stepped up, and, for an Autobot that was several feet shorter and looked like Optimus outweighed her by a long shot, seemed to almost stare him down.

"Optimus, no offense, but I'm not comfortable with letting you go with him alone." She whispered. Eric scowled underneath his mask, feeling a little offended. True, he and Maya never gave the group of Autobots a reason to trust them, what with all the secrets they kept, but they never gave them a reason _not_ to trust them. So, having the dark blue female Cybertronian saying that they planned this and would off the large mech was a very large blow.

"Then by all means, come along." Eric offered with false hospitality while checking his pistol and loading up on electric bombs. "But we're wasting time. I'm going with or without the both of you. Ratchet?"

The medic hesitated a moment before he typed up the coordinates of Maya's and Bumblebee's last location and pulling the lever. Eric left his motorcycle, running through the portal as fast as he could. He heard two others follow him but he didn't want to look back. His eyes were focused solely on the end of the portal, which spit him out in a rocky ravine. Almost immediately, Eric spotted tracks several feet away. He ran forward, kneeling down to examine the tracks a bit better.

From what he could see, Bumblebee and Maya were walking side-by-side. There wasn't anything that showed that they were running from something or in a rush to get somewhere. The prints looked to be complete, protected from the wind by the walls of the ravine, so they were visible and fresh-looking.

"The prints don't show any sort of struggle." Eric muttered as he walked a little way, following the trail. "Or that they were running from something. It looks like that they were in no rush to get where they were going."

"You're pretty good at tracking." Arcee said, after kneeling down to confirm.

Eric turned back, a thinly veiled smile on his face. "Why, Arcee, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that was a complement." He turned back, the smile melting off his face. "It was one of the first skills they teach you when you join the Brotherhood. I also tracked a target across the Chihuahuan Desert for a month, going on nothing but the tracks that he left."

"Must've been a pretty important target for you to have to do that." Arcee muttered.

"Oh, he was." Eric decided to stop the conversation there as he continued to follow the tracks. Nothing in the tracks gave him reason to worry about there being a scuffle or an attack, as from the way they looked, the two were in no hurry to get to their destination, although it was clear there _was_ a reason they were heading this way.

Eric, feeling hopeful, followed the trail until it ended.

And just like that, the hope that Eric felt evaporated like water in the sun.

The path ended at a cave, the entrance blocked by boulders and rocks.

"Oh no." He muttered as he rushed forward. He attempted to dig the entrance clear but no matter how many rocks he removed, they were replaced by more. His heart was going a million miles per hour as he continued to futilely try and dig out his sister. "SISTER! SISTER, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Nothing.

"We've got to dig them out." He muttered. He and the Autobots started to dig, but no matter how many rocks they moved, nothing would cause even a dent, as the rocks just shifted. Eric was near tears as he sat down, sweaty and exhausted. He had removed his jacket a while back, making it easier to dig. He didn't care if he was giving the Autobots a full view of his face and identity. Getting Maya and Bumblebee out safely was the top priority. Eric didn't know how long Maya had been trapped, and since the Autobots didn't breathe in the same way that humans breathed, then he could rest assured that unless the entire cave collapsed on top of him, Bumblebee could be safe until he could be saved.

But Maya could be running out of air rather quickly.

While Eric sat down and tried to catch his breath, Arcee and Optimus continued to dig. He examined the ravine, trying to figure out what could've happened. There were reports made by geologists in the area that there have been small tremors. It was plausible that the cave that the two entered could've been unstable (Eric was going to ground Maya for a year) and that a tremor could've collapsed the cave on the two of them, trapping them. That or something else could've caused the cave to collapse.

But, regardless of what happened, Eric had to get Maya out before she suffocated to death.

"This isn't working." Arcee muttered as she continued to claw at the rocks. Eric took one more deep breath before standing up and started to dig once again. "We need to find a way into the cave, without bringing the entire thing on top of them. Assuming they're still alive."

Eric bit down a snap that lingered on the edge of his tongue as he examined the blockage. It wouldn't do them any good

"There's got to be some way we can move this without hurting them." He whispered to himself. He stood, starting to walk around and looking at the rocks that blocked the entrance from different angles. While he was staring at him, Eric's ears caught a strange noise.

It sounded like a car horn.

At first, he thought it was someone on the highway. But since they were quite a way from any road, it made it impossible. Then, with his brow furrowed, he moved forward. As Eric grew closer to the rocks that blocked the entrance, he heard the noise, causing his heart to drop down to his feet. The alarms couldn't be anything other than Bumblebee trying to get the attention of someone. Eric moved forward, trying to move Arcee and Optimus out of the way. The two were shocked and Arcee tried to stop him when she noticed that he was removing the bombs from his waist.

But Eric managed to place the bombs in places that would help clear the blockage and detonated them. Optimus grabbed him and managed to shield him from the rubble. Almost immediately as the cloud of dirt died down, Eric removed himself from Optimus's grasp and moved forward inside the cave. The number of bombs were just enough to blast the blockage and give them a clear path towards the scout.

He spotted Bumblebee standing over Maya, using his body to keep the ceiling from crushing her.

Eric ran forward, picking up her semi-conscious sister and cradling her in his arms. Her face was covered in dirt and her eyes were closed, but after a moment of checking her vitals, he sighed in relief when he felt a pulse underneath his fingers. He picked his sister up bridal-style as he moved out of the way of Optimus and Arcee, as the two helped Bumblebee from out underneath the collapsed cave ceiling. Eric stepped out into daylight, followed by Optimus and Arcee helping Bumblebee walk. Bright blue liquid spilled down the scout's back, but it didn't look too bad. The man placed his sister down on the ground and started to do a more thorough check over.

Maya had dried blood on the side of her head which would have to be cleaned and bandaged when they got back to base.

"Ratchet, activate the groundbridge and prepare the med-bay."

"Ask him if he could get Nurse Darby to come down with some oxygen." Eric spoke up. Maya was almost ashen grey.

Optimus nodded and relayed Eric's request to the medic. A moment later, the groudbridge portal appeared. Eric gently picked up his sister before walking towards the vortex. He walked until he returned to the base, with Ratchet running around the medical portion of the entrance room. The kids, especially Raf, glanced over at him when he walked forward, his brown eyes glinting with worry. Eric shielded his sister's face from the others, as he walked forward and up the stairs. Thankfully, the teens' attention was drawn to Bumblebee, giving him enough privacy to clean his sister's head wound and wrap it bandages. He placed the cowl on top of Maya's head, removing the face mask and placing it on the table when Aunt June arrived. She gave him the oxygen tank and mask, which he hooked up to his sister.

The only thing that he could now was wait.

He must've dozed, as light footsteps had him blinking sleepily. Eric saw Raf sit down next to him, his brown eyes looking up at the older man with concern.

"How's Bumblebee?" Eric asked, clearing his throat when he realized that it was dry.

"He's going to be okay." Raf answered, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. "Ratchet said that some of the boulders severed some fuel lines, but he managed to reattach them before Bee could lose too much Energon. He's in recharge right now." Raf managed to make eye contact with him before asking, "How's Sister?"

"Don't know." The dark-haired man admitted. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to rub away the headache that was starting to make itself known. He sighed before continuing, "She does have a very minor concussion, but she had been trapped that cave with very little air for who knows how long. So, I don't know if that was detrimental or not."

"Why not just take her to a hospital?"

"Because there is only one hospital near here and a family member works there." Eric answered as he stood to make sure his sister was comfortable. He flickered his gaze over to where Jack and Miko were relaxing, playing a racing game. "And the rest of our family don't know about us being Assassins. Sister and I never wanted to bring the rest of our family into the Creed, as it is a dangerous thing to know about. They deserved a normal life, a life neither Sister and I had."

"What about your parents?" Raf asked after a moment of silence.

Eric took a moment to swallow his tears before answering. "Our mom…. our mom died in a raid. And we don't know about the whereabouts of our father."

"Oh." Was all Raf said. The two sat in silence, Eric trying to calm himself and tell himself that there was nothing to worry about as his sister would wake up soon.

It was approaching early eveningwhen Maya finally woke up. Eric had joined the kids on the couch, watching an interesting docu-drama about the Industrial Revolution in London, England when she started to stir. Eric sent occasional glances over at his sister but each time, was disappointed when each time his sister wasn't awake. But around the halfway mark of the docu-drama, he noticed that his sister's hand was twitching before her eyes flickered open.

Eric stood quickly to help her sit up. "Easy there, sis."

"What….?" She tried to ask, but realized that there was an oxygen mask over her face and stopped. She made to rip it off, but Eric grabbed her wrist gently and placed it down. He noticed that she was starting to hyperventilate.

"Calm down, sis. You're safe and back at base." Eric informed his sister as she was glancing around worriedly.

"Bumblebee...? Where…?"

"He's safe." Eric assured his sister. He shone a light into her eyes, checking the dilation on her eyes and response. Once he was satisfied with the results, he gently removed the oxygen mask and turned the tank off. "Do you feel any pain or discomfort anywhere?"

"No." Maya answered. "Just dizzy."

"You need to just stay down." Eric ordered even though Maya was trying to get back up to her feet. "I'm serious, sis."

"I'm fine, Brother." Maya insisted as she tried to push back against the hand that was weakly pushing her back. She groaned at the deadpanned expression that Eric was giving her, as if to say, _See?_

"You willingly put yourself in danger, which is something I thought we talked about. So, I'm going to give you an ultimatum: if you don't stay down, I'm going to suspend you from field work for two weeks." At his threat, Maya froze. He knew that he had her. If there was one thing that Maya valued over all, it was the ability to alternate her work between research and fieldwork.

It was almost like she was a perfect combination of Industrial Revolution era Assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye.

Maya narrowed her grey eyes before whispering, "You wouldn't."

"I would and will." Eric promised. "You've been getting reckless, sis. This stunt proves it. If you don't want to be stuck at base every time we come over, then I suggest you lay back down."

"You don't have the authority to ground me." Maya stated.

"Wanna bet?"

Maya gave her brother an angry glare. Eric held it, almost _begging_ her to try and get up. He almost didn't see it coming. Thankfully, he knew his sister all too well, so it was easy to see the signs of when she was about to attack him. He managed to land gracefully on his feet when he was flipped, using his momentum to bring his sister over and slamming onto the ground. He tried to be gentle with her, but the grunt of pain that escaped sent a spike of guilt through him. Eric heard a gasp behind him, which meant that their argument had caught the attention of the kids.

"That's it." He hissed quietly. "You're grounded from fieldwork for two weeks. If you don't respect my authority, I'll get the Mentor to issue an order."

Maya feebly tried to struggle, but was unable to get him off her, so she just gave up. Eric took that as a sign that she gave up and got off her. He helped her back to the stretcher, where she promptly fell asleep. He glanced over his shoulder to find that the others were trying their hardest not to pay attention. Only when he sighed did he notice Ratchet staring at him, with a raised metal eyebrow did he turn away.

"How's Bumblebee?" He asked the medic.

"He will recover." Ratchet answered brusquely, going back to working on whatever he was working on. There was a moment of silence before the medic asked, "And Sister?"

"Stubborn as an ass, but she'll live." Eric answered. He groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As soon as she wakes up, we'll be heading home. I'm…...I'm sorry that we caused you so guys so much worry."

"It is not your fault, Brother." He turned around when he heard Optimus's voice. "Both Bumblebee and Sister took unnecessary risks. Let us hope that this is a lesson that they will take to heart."

Eric gave a huffed laugh as his mind went back to several seconds ago. "Yeah. I hope so too."

"Dude, that was _so_ cool!" Miko's voice cut through his musings. Maya barely stirred as the young Japanese girl came closer. "How'd you do that?"

"How'd I do…what?"

"That backflip! That was totally metal!"

Jack came up and placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Take it down a notch Miko."

"No, no, it's fine, Jack, I don't mind." Eric assured the boy as he leaned against the railing. He took a deep breath before answering. "I learned that move from my mentor in the Assassin Brotherhood when I was still an initiate. It was really hard to learn, and took me a year and a half to do so, but it was a nice payoff when I finally perfected it. If you want, I could teach you three some moves."

 _Even though it's against the rules._

"Epic!" Miko pumped her fist in excitement. Jack looked a little uncomfortable with the proposal. Eric was about to ask him what the problem was, but thought better of it. If he asked the young boy why he wasn't eager to learn self-defense now, then he might blow his cover. So far, the two have been lucky to avoid suspicion from their family, but he needed to careful not to slip up.

Which might be hard since Eric noticed Aunt June pulling out her cellphone.

"Who ya calling mom?" Jack asked, also noticing June pulling out her phone.

"I'm calling your cousins, to let them know that we'll be having pizza tonight." She informed.

Eric tried to keep a straight face as the woman put the phone up to her ear. When he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he tensed. Thankfully, no one noticed, as they all went back to what they were doing before. But when June continued to try to contact him, he realized that he needed to sneak away to answer it.

Using every bit of skill that he learned in Japan, Eric managed to sneak away far enough to answer his phone. He fumbled for his phone, but was able to pull it out of his pocket and press the answer button.

 _"Hello?"_ He hoped that he sounded casual and not stressed.

 _"Eric? Is everything okay? You took a while to answer." _

Eric winced, trying to rack his brain for an excuse. _"Yeeeeaaah. Just…uh, just driving down the highway. Sorry I couldn't answer you sooner."_

 _"You're not driving now are you?"_

 _"No, no. Maya had to, uh, stop at a rest stop. To use the restroom."_ Eric winced at the thought. He should've told his relatives that they were going to be spending the day looking for parts for Maya's motorcycle, not that they were going to be hanging around town.

 _"_ _Okay. Well, if you and Maya feel like it, we're going to have pizza for supper. I don't feel like cooking tonight."_

Eric managed to muster up a worried tone. _" Is everything okay, Aunt June? You sound…frazzled." _

June sighed on the other side of the phone. _"_ _It's just been a trying day, that's all."_

 _"Okay. We'll be home in a few hours."_

" _Stay safe you two."_

Eric sighed in relief when the line went dead. He leaned up against the wall, scrubbing his face hard.

"Everything okay?"

Eric jumped when he heard Arcee's question. He didn't even hear the female Cybertronian approach. Guess he was more stressed than he thought he was. He hoped that the Autobot didn't hear too much of that conversation but the way she looked at him suspiciously told him that she heard everything.

How much of that conversation did she hear?

"So…you're related to Nurse June, huh." The question (more like a statement) answered his thoughts. It also had him pondering how long she knew, or, at the very least, suspected.

"Yeah. I'm…. her nephew." He answered, removing his hood to reveal his dark hair and family resemblance. "Just, don't let her know, okay? We don't tell her because we don't want her to worry about it. And we want to keep her out of the war we're fighting. To keep her and Jack safe."

"Don't I know it." The femme muttered with a scoff. She glanced around, making Eric feel uncomfortable.

"So, I guess this means that you trust me and sister now?" He asked with a smirk.

Arcee scowled down at him, with a raised metal eyebrow. "Not sure. We'll see."

 _Guess that's as close as I'm getting with her._ Eric thought with a small smile. He walked back towards the main room with Arcee right beside him.

"Where'd you two go?" Smokescreen asked as they reentered the main room.

"I was looking for the bathroom, but got lost." Eric lied smoothly before Arcee could come up with something. He glanced at his watch, wincing at the time. "We need to get going, if we're going to make it home before supper."

"Would you like a bridge?" Ratchet asked.

"Mmmmm, I think we're good." Eric decided. He went up to where his sister was still sleeping, shaking her shoulder gently to wake her up. "Hey, sis, you can go back to bed when we get home. Come on."

"No wanna wake," Maya muttered as she curled into a ball. Eric chuckled a bit as he managed to wake her up enough to get her moving. He gave everyone a goodbye wave, before he sped off. The early evening air was something that gave Eric a whoosh of freshness that cleared his lungs and his head of the fog that had lingered over him during the day of inactivity.

Eric had helped Maya into her bed when they got home. He sat in silence for about five minutes before he heard the garage door open up. Taking a deep breath, Eric tried to dash away the dark thoughts that had almost engulfed his mind. The door opened up to reveal Jack and June entering, the raven-haired woman holding two boxes of pizza from the local pizzeria.

"Hey Eric." June greeted. Her dark eyes scanned the kitchen and living area. "Where's Maya?"

"Uh, she's gone to bed, already." Eric stated as he sat down at the bar. "She wasn't feeling too good."

"Okay." June said softly. As she moved to get the plates, Eric swore he heard her mutter, "I swear you're hiding something from me."

He tensed as he picked up a piece of pizza. After a couple of slices, the man was laughing and relaxing along with his cousin and Aunt June. Soon, Eric found himself reclining on the couch, full of pizza, laughing happily at a bunch of Jack's jokes (and they weren't pity laughs).

However, it all came crashing down when he got a text message from Mentor Miles. Well, more of a Brotherhood-wide alert.

Eric smiled at his cousin as he idly opened the message.

And with that one single motion, his good mood plummeted.


	14. Chapter 13

" _Comm/phone/singing"_

Text messages

 _Thoughts_

"Normal"

" **Bumblebee Speak"**

Chapter 13 

Maya noticed that her brother was a bit …. off the next day.

She had very little recollection of what happened the day prior. All she remembered was getting trapped in a cave with Bumblebee before blacking out, and then her memory was sporadically random after that. What she did remember was waking up back at base and Eric grounding her from fieldwork for two weeks because she wouldn't stay down and she had tried to flip him over her shoulder.

She was still pretty salty about that, and would be until she was allowed back on the field.

But the twenty-nine-year-old figured that the stunt she pulled yesterday wasn't the reason why her brother was acting strangely.

He was jittery, jumpy and unable to focus. All of those traits were usually part of Maya's characteristic, not Eric's. And every time that she asked if he was okay, he would nod and mutter some excuse why he was like that, but each lie fell flatter and flatter than before. Maya started to get worried when he started to pace the entirety of the house. Eric was someone who had his emotions under wraps pretty well, so whenever he started to show a fragment of emotion, Maya got worried.

"Eric? What's going on?" Maya asked around noon. "You're really starting to worry me."

"I'm fine," Eric stated. Maya quirked an eyebrow, sensing the tenseness of her brother's answer.

She was silent for a moment as she watched him pace back and forth. Despite herself, she quirked a smile. "Eric, would you stop pacing? You're going to wear a hole in Aunt June's floor."

The man stopped pacing, a small smile playing on his face. He gave a her a genuine smile but it fell a moment later and he resumed pacing.

"Was it because of what happened yesterday?" She asked.

"No, its not." Eric admitted. Suddenly, he grunted as he punched the wall. Maya winced and rushed forward. She examined the new hole in the wall, one that would definitely need a picture frame over to hide it.

"Eric! What the hell man!?" Maya turned back to her brother, her eyes searching his suddenly-tearful face. "Eric? What's going on?"

Her older brother grabbed the Assassin gear and shoved it into Maya's arms. "I'll tell you at base. We can't stay here any longer."

"Eric? You're scaring me."

Eric ignored her as he prepped two go-bags, filling it to the brim with essentials. He packed only two pairs of clothes each for them. "I'll call Ratchet and ask him to bridge us to the base."

"What about Jack and Aunt June? We're going to be leaving before they get back from their mother-son bonding. And you're leaving our phones!" Maya gave him a once over. "Are you being mind-controlled or something?"

"I'll explain when we get to base." Eric repeated as he zipped up his jacket. Maya followed suite, mainly because she was worried about the way he was acting. She followed her brother towards the garage. When he started to rip out the tracker from his motorcycle, she figured she had enough.

"Okay, what is going on?" Maya asked as she grabbed her brother's wrist, forcing him to stop his actions. She ignored the death glare he was giving her. "You're not acting like yourself. You're acting very paranoid."

"I told you, I'll tell you what's going on at base." Eric wretched his wrist out of his sister's grasp and continued his task. Maya slowly started to strap the go-bags on the back of the motorcycle. Something was definitely going on, but she supposed that if she was going to find out what was going on, she might as well follow orders. When everything we ready, Eric ordered Maya to get on the bike. They were going the opposite direction of the base when Eric called for a bridge. The raven-haired woman feared that they would crash into some one on the other side as they barreled through the portal at top speed, but Eric managed to 'Tokyo-Drifted' to a stop and avoided crashing into Optimus Prime's ankle.

"Brother, Sister." Optimus Prime greeted as the two got off the motorcycle. Unfortunately, neither one of them seem to pay him any mind as Maya turned towards her brother. "Is something the matter?"

"Okay, we're here." She stated obviously, ignoring the Prime. "Now, why are you acting so weird?"

"I can't talk right now. I need to get something done." Eric quickly said before rushing off to the back of the base with the go-bags.

"Is everything okay?" The Prime repeated, drawing the woman's attention.

"Honestly?" Maya turned her attention to where her brother had left. "I have no idea. He's been acting like this all morning. I don't even think he slept last night."

"Oh, hey Sister!" Smokescreen greeted happily as he entered the main room, probably drawn by the activation of the groundbridge and the sound of Eric's motorcycle. "How's it hanging?"

Maya greeted the rookie with a smile. Rushing footsteps caught her attention and she saw Eric running towards her with his Hidden Blade drawn. She only had five seconds to react, blocking the attack with her own Blade. The Autobots gasped and stepped back in shock as the two sparred.

"Brother!" Maya grunted as she pushed her brother off her. "What's wrong with you?"

"You need to stay on your guard!" He declared as he rushed her again, this time with his battle knife. "You're battle skills need work!"

"Something tells me that this isn't about what happened yesterday." Maya muttered as she did a triple backflip. She pulled a move that she kept in her secret arsenal to take Eric down, the man landing on the ground with a shocked gasp. Putting her foot on his chest, she ordered, in the firmest tone she could muster, "Tell me what has gotten into you, right now, or so help me, I'll give you to Ratchet for experimentation."

"I don't do that!" the medic called.

"Just go with it." Maya hissed at him.

"Okay. Okay!" Eric's shouts drew attention back to him. Maya helped him up and sat him down on the lower steps as he sighed. "Yesterday evening, I received a worldwide message from Mentor Miles. He sent it to all the heads of the Chapters of the Brotherhood."

"Well, why did he send it to you?" Eric hesitated, keeping his eyes down. Maya noticed and that spiked her curiosity even further. "Brother? What did the Mentor send you?"

"It was a warrant for…." He trailed off.

"A warrant for what?"

He hesitated so long that Maya wasn't sure he was going to answer "It's for our father."

Maya's heart stopped in her chest and felt her world crashing down around her. Her throat was dryer than the desert, so she cleared her throat, before asking, "Why…...why is there a warrant out for our father?"

"He's going to send us the information later today." Eric said, standing up. He glanced over at Optimus. "Optimus, I have a request to make."

"State it." He ordered.

"I request that me and my sister stay here for a couple of days. At least until we can confirm whether or not we have been compromised."

"You may stay here for as long as you wish." The robot answered.

"What about your family?" Smokescreen asked. "Are they going to be okay?"

"They don't know about us being Assassins." Maya answered the rookie, rubbing her forehead as she contemplated the information given to her. But the information didn't seem to want to process. "We decided to do that to protect them." Her eyes widened in sudden realization as the information suddenly clicked. "What do you mean compromised?"

"If Mentor sent out a warrant, then there is a possibility that our father might've done something to betray us."

"But he wouldn't dare!" Maya shouted. "He's a loyal member of the Assassin Brotherhood! He would never betray us." She didn't realize she was sobbing until she plopped down and felt the tears fall. "He couldn't."

Eric's hand as placed on her shoulder in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this. But for now, we'll camp out here for a while."

"I only hope that it's nothing." Maya muttered as she climbed the stairs towards the couch. She tried to keep busy, but there was nothing to do. The first two hours at the base were the longest that she had to fight through, especially since she didn't have her phone or her laptop with her. She spent the first hour and a half training then the next two finishing her motorcycle. Once that was finished, there was nothing else to work to. The children seemed to make of a habit of taking all of their things home with them as there was literally no evidence that they were here.

"Ugh!" She groaned loudly. "There's nothing to do! I feel like my brain is melting from boredom."

She rolled off the couch and sat on her haunches, groaning overdramatically as she did so.

" _Would you please keep it down?!"_ Ratchet demanded from his normal place at the command center. "I'm trying to concentrate over here!"

"Sorry." Maya grumbled as she stood. She beamed when she saw Bumblebee come around the corner. "Hey Bee! How's it hanging?"

 **"Pretty good."** Bumblebee answered with excitement as he bounded over to the catwalk. **"How…. you feeling? You…. really…...yesterday."**

"I'm fine. How about you? I would say that you got the worse of it yesterday." Maya asked.

 **"Better. A…...sore."** The mech answered, stretching, his door-wings fluttering a bit. **"Wanna…...a ride? You look…. you're…. from boredom."**

But before Maya could answer, Ratchet interjected. "Ah, bup, bup, bup! You two are not going anywhere. Last time I checked, both of you were confined to the base for taking unnecessary risks."

"Aw come on, Ratchet!" Maya whined. "I'm positively dying here!"

Ratchet gave her a once over, which, for some reason, sent shivers up and down Maya's spine. "My initial scan says that you are _not_ dying. And neither are you Bumblebee, so don't even think about using that excuse."

"Wait, what?" Maya asked. "I am totally confused."

Bumblebee let loose a string of whines before saying, **"All of the medical…. scan that can scan just about…...being possible. Although…...just…. learning…...human anatomy."**

"So, his scanner can scan just about everything? Even organic matter?" Maya found herself wondering if she could replicate the technology. It would be miracle-working lifesaver for those who chose to be healers in the Brotherhood. Most of the time, battles fought between the Templars and the Assassins left many on both sides gravely injured. Sometimes, most died from their wounds as the medics couldn't stop the bleeding or find the cause of the wound. Maybe if they had something like the scans that Ratchet had, it would help the Assassin healers.

But even though it might take her boredom away, Maya didn't really want to work on that at the moment.

For once, she wanted to _relax._

 _Boy, I'm fickle today._ She thought.

However, even if she wasn't grounded for two weeks, for some reason her paranoid brother wouldn't want her to go anywhere. The fact that there was something putting her brother on edge was something that had her wanting noting to do with whatever was bothering him for the time being. But she couldn't do anything as her brother had grounded her.

 _Might as well see if there's anything that could be learned from the Codex pages,_ Maya thought as she moved from the railing to the card table the two Assassins had set up. She dug out one of the many Masyaf Keys that she managed to take from Aunt June's house from her satchel. She ran her finger over the markings as she placed it on the table right next to one of the Codex pages. Maya briefly wondered if she could get the Brotherhood to find Ezio's personal diaries and accounts on the Keys to see if she could figure out on how to activate it.

Maya turned towards the stairs when she heard Eric walk up but she swiftly returned her attention back to the page.

"Sis," He breathed. But Maya kept her eye on the page, ignoring her brother in a way that could be considered childish, but she figured it was good payback for what he did earlier that day. Eric seemed to know what she was doing as he sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry about this morning. You need to understand that I didn't want you to do anything stupid. I love you too much to let you do anything rash, like what you did yesterday."

Maya continued to ignore her brother as she spotted something on the page of Codex that interested her. Her ignoring him only made Eric angry.

"I'm doing this to protect you." Eric repeated, only to sigh again before turning and walking away. Maya placed the page she was studying down on the table before returning back to the Key. She pulled out a pocket-sized notebook, opening it to the most recent page. Maya spent the rest of the morning detailing her thoughts on the Keys. Eric had alternated between the rooms they would be staying in and the main room. The bots minded their own business, except for maybe Bumblebee and Smokescreen who Maya found had the curiosity of young children.

Not that she minded. Far from it. Maya enjoyed the innocent curiosity that most initiates had and Smokescreen and Bumblebee were one of the few who's question reminded her of simpler times.

"What are those?" Smokescreen's question pulled Maya out of her musings as she studied a strange marking on one of the Keys. She glanced up, startled by the closeness of the young Autobot recruit. He was so close she could see the small components of his optics. Then she remembered he asked her a question.

"Oh these?" she asked, holding the Key up. "It's a Masyaf Key."

"Woah." Smokescreen whispered in wonder. There was a pause. "What's that?"

Maya gave a small chuckle. "I guess you wouldn't know, huh? Well, the Masyaf Keys are of five memory seals that were left behind by the First Civilization. They were used by mostly by Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, but they were hidden throughout Constantinople by Niccolò and Maffeo Polo when the Mongols attacked Masyaf. Then, when Ezio Auditore came to the city a couple of centuries later, he managed to track down and find all five of them. He used it them to get into the Library of Altair."

Maya continued to talk about all that she knew about the infamous Library of Altair, including her desire to see it someday. From a couple glances that she would send the white, red and blue Autobot, she knew that most of the stuff that she was saying was probably going through one ear and out the other (figuratively speaking of course since they didn't have ears in a traditional sense). But it felt good to feel like a giddy little girl learning about the vault that holds untold knowledge.

Then, something clicked inside her mind.

"What is it?" Smokescreen seemed to notice how she stopped midsentence, her eyes going wide as though just realizing something. Maya remained silent, her mind racing thousand of miles.

Suddenly, Maya raced out of the room, dropping the Key she was holding on the table as she ran. She ignored Smokescreen calling her name as she turned the corner, skidding a little bit as she did, to search for her brother. Like what she suspected, Eric was in the room that she and he were to use while waiting out the message from Will.

The room was very bare, with two military-issue bunk cots shoved against the corner. Eric's go-bag was shoved up against the wall while hers was on the top bunk. Eric seemed to be in the middle of reading one of his favorite books which he managed to bring with him. He jumped up when Maya entered the bleak-looking room, dropping the book and glaring at his sister while she struggled to catch her breath.

"We *pant* can give the *pant* Keys *pant* back." Maya said between pants. Eric cocked his head, confused.

"What….Are you talking about?"

Maya managed to get her breath before she tried to speak again. "Okay. So, Ratchet said that the groundbridge could be used to travel all over the planet, right?"

Eric glanced to his left while nodding. "Yes. That is what he said it was."

"Okay. Do you think the range is limited to the US?"

"Uh…...no, I don't think so." Eric answered slowly.

Maya snapped her fingers. "Exactly! We can use the groundbridge to travel to Syria and drop off the Keys. Maybe even see Masyaf itself."

"No."

"B-bu-" Maya cut herself off, trying to gather herself after the shocking bluntness and lack of hesitation from her brother. "Oh, come on Eric! Think of this as a chance of a lifetime! We can finally see the place where our Brotherhood was reborn! We'll be walking in the footsteps of Ezio Auditore and Altair, two of the most famous members of the Assassins."

"But you're still grounded." Eric stated bluntly.

"Oh my- then how about we compromise, hm?" Maya proposed. Eric leaned over to pick the book up from the floor as he listened to his near-rambling sister. "If I don't complain about being grounded, or try anything to not do anything to sneak out, then at the end of the two weeks, you and I will try to see if Optimus will let us borrow the groundbridge, travel to Syria, and hand the Keys over to them. Maybe if there's time, we might do a little sightseeing."

Eric seemed to ponder the proposal. Maya had a feeling that it was a good proposition, considering the fact that at some point during the two-week period, she was planning to sneak out with the help of one of the many Autobots, hopefully maybe Smokescreen. Eric would know that she would try to sneak out and he knew that she knew that, regardless of what he did, she would find a way to sneak out, as her restless nature would get her out if she wanted to. He sighed heavily, and from the way his shoulders drooped in defeat, Maya knew that she had him.

"Okay." He whispered while she pumped her fist in victory. "Okay! But! _You're_ going to be the one that asks Optimus to borrow the groundbridge."

"Awesome!" Maya exclaimed. She perked when she heard the rumble of the engines that belonged to Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee enter the base, meaning the three kids were arriving. She hopped on over to where Eric sat, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Love ya, bro! I'm going to hang with the others."

As she stepped out of the door, Eric's voice called her back. "Maya. If you do anything, _anything,_ that violates the terms of our contract, then we'll be sending the Keys back to Syria via the mail."

"Don't worry, Eric. I won't do anything stupid." Maya swore before she walked out of the room. She ran towards the main room where the three kids were arriving. She noticed that Jack looked worried while Miko quickly hauled a guitar case up the stairs. "Hey guys!"

The three kids turned their heads when she called out. Miko's smile was something that made Maya feel a little…. uncomfortable, especially when it was as bright as it was. Something she had come to realize shortly after meeting the Japanese girl was that she was very mischievous and always ready to pull a trick. Both Jack and Raf had told her of the times when Miko snuck out of the base with the bots in order to get some pictures for a scrapbook she was making.

Maya admired the girl for her spunkiness but silently condemned her for her brash actions. From what the Autobots had told her (Bumblebee and Arcee mostly), Miko's eagerness to rush into the action without any forethought would cost them battles, as they would have to shift focus from fighting the Decepticons to making sure the young girl came out of the scuffle alive and in one piece, even going so far as to taking hits just to protect her.

Raf, Maya found, was a young genius, but extremely soft-spoken. Only whenever he was talking to Bumblebee did Maya find that the boy came out of his shell. Maya had never met anyone who was so smart and yet so young. He had even helped her program some of the new firewalls she used on her laptop and also taught her some hacking tricks that he picked up from helping the Autobots. Maya had also found out, much to her surprise, that it was Raf who kept her out of the files when she was trying to hack into the government's mainframe. It hurt her ego a little bit, but the raven-haired woman eventually got over it.

Jack was a different story from the other two. There was a different side to the young boy when he was at the base then when he was at home. At the base, he was open and more willing to interact with everyone. He even joked along with Miko and spent time with Raf, almost like the three of them were siblings. It warmed Maya's heart to see how Jack had grown into a leader, a fighter. From how long Maya suspected Jack to have known about the Autobots, she figured it probably didn't take long for his timid and hesitant nature to melt away.

Something about how Jack took charge almost made Maya want to recruit him.

But she stopped herself, because Aunt June had enough to worry about in regards to her son.

"Hey Sister," Raf greeted as he sat down on the couch with his bag that seemed to be as big as he was.

"Awesome! Now we have a full band!" Miko exclaimed, making a rock-and-roll sign with her free hand.

"No offense Miko, but I haven't played in a band in years." Maya informed the girl as she climbed the stairs. Her statement had the girl looking at her with stars in her eyes.

"You were in a band?"

Maya gave a nervous chuckle, remembering the awkward years. "It was actually more like an afterschool pastime when I was in high school. We never actually played in front of a crowd and we were only together up until I was a junior."

"What were you? I bet you were the drummer! You've got that feeling!" Miko exclaimed while the other two turned around as though to listen to the stories. Maya thought back to the time, trying to remember what she played.

"I was the bass player." Maya muttered.

"Even better!" Miko picked up her guitar case and shoved it into Maya's arm. Maya blinked in shock at the action. When she caught the woman's questioning blink, Miko beamed. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me that you don't remember how to play?"

Maya winced as she slowly opened the guitar case and picked up the guitar. It felt almost foreign in her grip. But it did bring back a lot of memories from a time when she was carefree and didn't have to worry about the Assassins. Maya sat down, strumming a few cords as she tried to get back into the feel of it. A small smile appeared on her face as the muscle memory came back. She started out playing a few simple cords, and then as time went on, she began to play a little more complex stuff.

"Just like riding a bike." Maya muttered with a chuckle. The three kids, and even some of the Autobots, watched her as she played. At one point when she glanced up, she saw that her playing had somehow drawn Optimus Prime and her brother out of wherever they were hiding. She cleared her throat and changed the cord.

 _"Oh, all the money, that e'er I had I spent it in good company. And all the harm that e'er I've done, alas it was to none but me."_ The gentle song sounded strange on the electric guitar but Maya continued. _"And all I've done, for want of wit to memory now I can't recall. So fill to me the parting glass good night and joy be with you all. Oh all the comrades that e'er I've had are sorry for my going away and all the sweethearts that e'er I've had would wish one more day to say. But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not. I'll gently rise and I'll softly call, goodnight and joy be with you all. Goodnight and joy be with you all."_

"Wow. That was beautiful." Raf muttered when she had strummed the last cord to the song.

"Thanks, Raf." Maya smiled as she handed the guitar back over to Miko. She was about to say something else when she caught her brother's misty eyes. Perhaps, her playing had brought back memories for him. She watched as Miko, Raf and Jack take out their homework from the previous day that they didn't finish, although it appeared the two boys were more eager to get it done than Miko.

This is how she spent a good chunk of the afternoon until Eric reappeared. He placed a hand on her shoulder, jolting her from her thoughts. She was about to say something about sneaking up on an armed person, but the retort died on her tongue when she saw his expression.

"It's time, Sister."

Maya nodded before turning to Raf. "May we borrow your laptop?"

The young boy nodded quietly, logging out of whatever he was working on before sliding it towards her. Maya smiled her thanks while she cracked her knuckles. As soon as her fingers were position, her fingers flew over the keyboard as she logged into her secret account. She was thankful for the walls, as they isolated the signal.

As soon as she entered the third password and she gained access to her account, the screen popped up. Maya noticed that there was a file in the process of downloading to her email. Eric resumed his anxious pacing that he had started earlier that day as the file finished downloading. She started to pick at her nails, picking up on Eric's anxiety, as she scrolled to open the document.

Eric sat down next to her and together they read the document.

Everything seemed to fall away as they did. The base, the kids laughing, even Ratchet's quiet grumbling seemed to disappear.

Maya's heart stopped, and her vision became blurry with tears as she read the warrant. Only when she made a whimpering sound did the attention become drawn to the two by the children.

"Is everything okay?" Maya could vaguely hear Raf's question over the pounding of her heart. Her fists clenched as she stood, barely refraining from throwing the computer that wasn't hers. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Eric stood and quickly grabbed her shoulders and forced her into a hug.

It was only then that Maya broke down and started to cry into his shoulder. Right in front of everyone despite the reputation she had built up of being a tough hard-ass.

Will the heartbreak ever cease?


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

 **Excerpt from message sent by Mentor Williams Miles, of the North American Chapter of the Assassin Brotherhood, to all the Chapters of the Assassin Brotherhood**

 _Attention all Chapter leaders of the Assassin Brotherhood from around the world:_

 _This email is a formal warrant for the capture and/or death of former Brotherhood Council member James Phillip Everton. Information has come to light that Mr. Everton has been a sleeper-agent of the Templar Order for the past thirty years, going as far back to the marriage of Julia Levez in March of 1988. Along with the information that Mr. Everton was a long-term sleeper-agent, evidence that he was the mastermind behind multiple attacks on multiple hidden outposts and bases belonging to the Assassins, including the attack on the New York outpost several months ago, had appeared._

 _According to the network of spies that we have at our disposal, James Phillip Everton is somewhere in northern Scotland and shall most likely evade our grasp until we can manage to regroup our forces and attack._

 _Should anyone come into contact with the traitor, you have the permission and approval of the Assassin Council and Mentor to exterminate him on-sight._

 _May the Eagle soar high. Long live the Assassin Brotherhood._

 _Nothing is True; Everything is Permitted._

 _From: William Miles, de-facto Mentor of the Assassin Brotherhood, leader of the North American Chapter._


	16. Chapter 15

_"Comm/phone"_

Text messages

"Normal"

 _Thoughts_

 **"Bumblebee Speak"**

Chapter 15

Eric watched as Maya placed a heavy-duty, yet surprisingly maneuverable heavy jacket on her shoulders, a completely dead expression on her face. Eric sighed as he placed several more throwing knives onto his bandolier. From the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up, he could tell that everyone in the base, from the children to the Autobots, were staring at them with worried and frightened eyes/optics, but they were probably giving the two some space.

It had only been an hour and a half since they received the message from Mentor Williams, the message that changed everything for the siblings as their world came crashing down around them.

Eric had spent the first few minutes trying to calm down Maya and keep her from doing something stupid or rash. It had taken him threatening to sedate her to finally to get her from sneaking out of the base and going on a killing spree. After ordering her to go and meditate (with Optimus ordering Arcee to keep an optic her (Eric was glad that he sent Arcee and not Smokescreen as he was pretty sure that Maya would convince the rookie to help her sneak out)), Eric had contacted as many heads of the Assassin Chapters as he could. He managed to contact three, the head of the Parisian, London, and Scotland Chapters, with Mentor Miles showing up a little later. All four wanted to know why he was contacting them when they were in the middle of important tasks.

The raven-haired man had to take a deep breath and force the words out, but he managed to say that he and his sister wanted the honor of slaying James Phillip Everton.

To say that the leaders were shocked was an understatement, as there were a few moments of silence. The feed cut out for a bit, probably the heads conversing on their own private line, before it became clear again. Mentor Miles had asked him if that was what he wanted, probably hoping for the younger man to see that he was asking to kill his own father, but Eric nodded. He lost his mother to his father's betrayal, and he promised himself that he would dish out vengeance to that person who had betrayed the Brotherhood. Seeing that he wasn't going to back down or hesitate, Mentor Miles officially gave the honor of the kill to him and Maya.

Thankfully, he didn't ask how the two were going to get to Scotland in such a short time.

So, after a couple of deep breaths, Eric had fetched Maya and told her the plan. She waited a couple of minutes before she started to get ready.

"How long will you two be gone?" Jack asked. Maya glanced over at the young boy, completely ignoring him. Eric sighed as he answered.

"Not long, what with the groundbridge all, but we'll have track down this S.O.B first before we can kill him." Eric answered simply. "The Mentor gave us the coordinates of where he was last seen but we'll probably have to track him down-"

"We probably won't have to track him down for long." Maya spoke, for the first time in an hour and a half. She pulled her Hidden Blade a little tighter as she continued, "I remembered that I placed a tracker on him. For some reason, it hasn't been working but I got a ping back almost as soon as the message was sent out, which means it's working now. I think that we're walking into a trap, but I don't care."  
"We need a plan, sis." Eric quickly shut down the anger that was building inside of him, knowing full well that if his sister went on like this for too long, she would get herself into a detrimental situation.

One that would take a long time to get her out of or get her killed.

Maya shot him a glare as she angrily tugged on the straps of her Blade, tightening until it looked like it was cutting off the blood circulation to her hand. "I _realize_ that we need a plan, Brother. I'm not the same person as I was six months ago."

Eric sighed as he watched Maya walk off to make the final preparations. He glanced over at the others, shrugging as he placed the last few throwing knives into his bandolier. As he finished his preparations, with a silent prayer of protection sent up for both him and Maya, Eric turned towards the Autobots. Optimus had offered to send a warrior with them since the two Assassins would need to make it look like the murderer was in Scotland and not using an alien inter-planetary portal.

And since he was the most nondescript of all the Autobots present, Bulkhead had been chosen.

The big green bot didn't look too upset with the assignment but Miko had made her disappointment about missing a rock-and-roll concert she had been waiting for since last May pretty clear.

But all it took was one look from the silently furious Maya to shut her up.

"We'll try to be quick, Optimus." Eric stated as he moved down the stairs. "If anything happens that needs all hand on deck over here, we'll send Bulkhead back."

"Of course." The giant red-and-blue mech stated. Eric's ears were still ringing with the lecture that Optimus had given them to try and dissuade them from going and killing their father. But once the two had told the large Autobot about the massacre six months ago, he had stopped.

"Thanks Optimus." Eric turned around right as Maya appeared. She looked ready, but drawn, older than she was. Behind those sparks of happiness that she worked so hard to keep lit was a tired woman who had seen too much bloodshed than any person should have to see. Eric knew that he probably looked like that as well, but he came to terms with it a long time ago. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Maya stated coldly. She held out her hand, a small smile on her face. Eric's face also held a smile as he and Maya did the ritual handshake that they almost always did when they were departing for a risky mission. When they finished, Eric pulled Maya into a hug, another one of their rituals, since they were never guaranteed that one of them might make it out alive. When they pulled apart, Maya whispered, "Let's go get that slagger."

Eric smirked and chuckled despite himself as the two of them moved towards Bulkhead, who had transformed into his vehicle mode. "Looks like you've really taken to Cybertronian cussing."

Maya shrugged, that light of laughter in her eyes growing a bit as she did. "Miko and Bulkhead have been excellent teachers."

Eric chuckled as he took the driver's seat after placing a small go-bag into Bulkhead's trunk in case they needed to crash at a hotel or something. He had never ridden in an actual living being, despite the fact that Smokescreen and Bumblebee had both offered him rides. Even though Maya had been gung-ho about riding in the Autobots, he had been feeling a little…uneasy about the thought of sitting inside something that was a living, sentient beings. But from what the kids told him, it was just like riding in a regular car, but with added bonus that you didn't have drive.

As Eric buckled himself in, Maya gave the coordinates to Ratchet. His heart pounded as he clutched the steering wheel out of habit, immediately letting go when Bulkhead's voice came through the speakers.

"You look a little jumpy, kid."

Eric scowled, not really liking the nickname that the big Autobot had taken to calling him. "I've never really ridden in a living being before. It's, uh, a bit weird."

Bulkhead chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it in no time."

"Uh, Bulkhead?" Eric asked, suddenly feeling nervous. "How many different countries have you been too?"

"Not really sure." That didn't make Eric feel any better. "Why?"

"If we go through any villages, you're going to drive on the left side of the road. And try not to draw any attention to us."

Again, Bulkhead chuckled. "We're Autobots remember? Robots in disguise."

"We're all set," Maya announced as she entered the vehicle and strapped in. A moment later, the groundbridge portal sprung to life in front of them. Eric glanced over at Maya, who nodded.

"Okay," Eric breathed. "Let's get going."

Bulkhead's engine roared to life and they moved forward. Eric gawked openly as they drove through the portal, glancing up at the swirling colors as the three of them moved through it. A flash of light brought him out of his wonderings and forced him to lower his eyes down to examine the sudden change of scenery.

Compared to the warm, bright morning in Jasper, the dreary, cold afternoon of Scotland was a rather stark and depressing change. As soon as they exited the groundbridge, a light drizzle of rain started to fall, Bulkhead activating his wipers as it was starting to block the view. Maya and Eric exited Bulkhead for a moment to gather their bearings.

They seemed to be on some sort of elevated plateau, as they could see for miles around. Eric heard Maya snicker as he took in the scenery below him.

"What's so funny?" He asked dryly.

It took a couple of seconds for the woman to answer as she was snickering really heavily. "We have the high-ground."

Eric rolled his eyes as he continued to scan the area in front of him but a slight smile tugged at his lips. In the distance, about twenty miles eastward, there seemed to be a village of some sort. Everywhere else seemed to be nothing but grassland.

"Alright," Maya stated, her silliness gone, replaced by maturity. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to head that way," He pointed in the direction of the village, "We're going to get our bearings and then find our father. It probably wouldn't hurt to get some food either."

"Sounds good." Maya turned on her heels and started towards Bulkhead. Eric paused for a moment, his eyes drinking in the dreary beauty that was Scotland, before following his sister.

"Uh, guys? We've got a problem." Bulkhead's voice halted both in their tracks.

Several different scenarios went through their minds: Decepticons had tracked their position, Templars had ambushed them. They tensed almost instantly, ready for anything.

But all of the thoughts that the two were thinking vanished in a puff of smoke when the back door of Bulkhead's vehicle form opened up, and a bundled up Miko exited. Eric had to blink several times to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. Maya's strangled groan as she turned and walked away helped Eric confirm that he wasn't going crazy.

"Miko?! What the hell are you doing here?" Eric asked. He heard about Miko's tendencies to sneak along with the Autobots to battle but he'd never believed that she would be stupid enough to tag along with them while they were going on mission even more dangerous than that of a battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

Because as far as he was told, the Decepticons would never go to the lengths to seek out the young girl if spotted with Eric and Maya and eliminated. They were too focused on the Autobots and didn't really see humans as a threat.

The Templars on the other hand….

"I wanted to get some shots for the photo-album!" The Japanese girl stated.

" _This isn't a game, Miko!_ " Maya snapped, immediately getting close to the young girl who wilted back in shock. "This isn't some video game where you have multiple lives! This is a real war that we are fighting, which is something that you _do not_ want to get involved in if you want to keep you and your family safe! Do you understand?"

For once, the young girl was silent, her pigtails bobbing up and down as she nodded.

"Alright, I think we're going to have to check into a hotel, which I wanted to avoid." Eric muttered. He didn't have the currency on him, figuring that with the groundbridge at their disposal, they wouldn't be staying long enough to even need the money.

But now he was thoroughly regretting it. He definitely wasn't bringing Miko along to an active battleground.

"Do you think Angus still runs that hotel just a few miles from here?" Maya asked suddenly. Eric had to resist the urge to grab his sister and kiss her on the forehead for her genius.

Angus Blackwood was a former member of the Brotherhood who, after retiring, had opened up a small village hotel. All of the workers at the hotel were loyal to the Brotherhood. The hotel was opened to the public, and there were also a bunch of secret rooms that were underneath the hotel that Angus kept open for those in the Brotherhood seeking refuge from the Templars or to just get away for a bit. Last time the two had spoken with the boisterous Scotsman, he had been talking about full-on retirement.

Hopefully though, the village hotel was still open.

"We can start heading that way since it'll be getting dark soon." Eric stated. He gave a pointed look at Miko as he continued, " _But_ you're going to have to stay put while we go on our mission tonight. Understand?"

Both of them watched as Miko climbed into Bulkhead. Maya took a step forward but Eric grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look at Eric's face.

"Once we drop Miko off at the hotel, you and I will stake out the place."

"Why don't we just have Ratchet groundbridge her back to base?" Maya asked.

"Because, we don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves." Eric answered as he moved towards the vehicle.

"Not if we use it out here." Maya pointed out. Eric only shook his head.

"The energy spike that the groundbridge emanates would be picked up by the Scottish Templars. I've been studying the technology with Ratchet."

"So, we've put ourselves on the Templar's map just by getting here via the groundbridge." Maya summarized. She rolled her eyes. "Great."

"They might think that it's an artefact. But either way, we might want to get moving."

Eric and Maya took their seat, with Eric in the driver's seat and Maya in the passenger seat, Miko sulking in the back. They moved from where they had parked, and, after a couple of stops to get directions, headed towards the village hotel. The drive was quiet, with Miko thankfully napping in the back within the hour. The siblings were quiet, watching the scenery pass by them.

"How much longer?" Maya whined silently. Eric's eyes scanned the village that was slowly coming into view. He allowed his eyes to brighten and a soft smile to grow on his face, when he spotted a rustic, hand-painted sign.

"Nearly there." He announced as he reached over and tapped Miko on her shoulder. The Japanese girl jerked upwards, awake and alert as Eric turned back towards the scene in front. He placed his hands on the wheel, pretending to drive. "Okay Bulkhead. Do you see where those cars are parked? Park there."

Bulkhead did as he told while Maya quickly removed her facial mask but kept her hood on. Most of the Brotherhood here knew who they were, but with Miko, they had to be careful.

When Bulkhead parked, Eric took a breath.

"Okay. Bulkhead, you wait here while we get Miko settled." Eric switched his timer on for thirty minutes. "It won't take too long but be ready as soon as possible."

"You got it."

"What's going to be the story with Miko?" Maya asked as the three of them exited the car. Eric froze for a minute before reaching into Maya's bag and pulling out an extra hoodie. He tossed it to Miko who had stared at it like he had handed her a dead body.

"Put that on." Eric ordered. Miko stood there for a moment before she tugged the jacket on. She paused for a moment before taking down her hair and pulling the hood on, looking like an ordinary teen trying to get out of the dreary evening. "Keep your eyes lowered and your mouth shut. We'll do the talking."

Beside him, he heard Maya take a deep breath before the three of them walked in. Eric couldn't help but smile softly at the sight that greeted them.

The hotel, like most in small villages in town, had a rustic feel, trying to mimic a certain time frame.

The time frame the Assassin's Hideaway (a little on the nose if you asked the Everton siblings) was trying to mimic was when the Scotland Brotherhood was at its strongest, the fourteenth century.

Robert the Bruce was one of the only members of the Assassin Brotherhood that was a royal and the one to lead not only the Brotherhood to prosperity, but also led the Scots to victory against the British at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. That battle elicited the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton fourteen years later, recognizing Scotland as independent. His son, unfortunately, was never the leader that his father was, but Robert the Bruce was forever seen as a hero, by the Assassins and the Scots.

The hotel's lobby and interior were molded after fourteenth century style, giving a feeling of stepping out of the modern world and into the past. Eric took a deep breath as he glanced around when he heard the sound of full-on belly laughter. The source of the laughter had Maya and Eric glancing at each other and quickly strode over to where the laughter was coming from. Leaning up against the counter, a large muscular man with whitening red hair and dark grey eyes was laughing happily with one of his workers.

As soon as he laid eyes on Eric and Maya, the smile disappeared for a millisecond before it returned.

"Ah! Well, if isn't the infamous Siblings of Hell!" he exclaimed. Both of them smiled at the nickname the Templars had given them.

"Angus!" Eric proclaimed as he embraced the older gentlemen. When the two pulled apart, Eric whispered something to him in Latin. Angus's smile curled at the end, which was proceeded with a nod and a gesture to follow him. The three of them did, and Miko was, thankfully, silent, sticking close to Maya as they walked down a long hallway.

"It's been too long since we last saw each other, Everton." Angus said quietly as he pulled out a key from his pocket. "You two have sure grown."

"Thanks so much for letting us keep our friend here for a while Angus," Eric stated as he leaned against the wall. "We wouldn't be troubling you if it weren't important." He paused. "I'm sure you heard about our dad?"

"Oh aye." The man answered as he placed the key into the lock of what looked to be a storage closet. "Came quite as a shock to those here. But I'd imagine that it was more of a shock to the two of you."

Eric didn't even need to glance at his sister to know that she was glancing down and blinking hard to keep from crying.

"Yeah it did."

"I guess that's why you're here, then." Angus stated as he pushed the door opened. Eric nodded as the three of them stepped over the threshold, noticing the lit torches that lined the wall, illuminating a stone staircase that led down into the gloom. As they continued down, Maya whistled in amazement.

"I didn't know that you built this, Angus." She commented.

"I didn't." the man corrected as he led the way. "This was part of an old keep that used to sit several miles away from here. Part of an old Assassin fortress that's now nothing more than a foundation. The tunnels that led to the keep were filled in, but a few still remain. It was a stroke of luck that I found these when I built the hotel. Gave me the idea to open it up to the Brotherhood as well."

Eric turned to see Maya giving Miko a shrug as Angus continued to guide them through the underground labyrinth with only a torch to light the way. Finally, Angus stopped in front of a door that looked identical to all the doors that lined the hallway. He turned the handle with his meaty hands and pushed it open. Maya, Eric and Miko entered the room, smiling at the medieval look that must've been the design of every room.

But for the rooms down here, designed for Assassins in mind who were always busy tracking their targets, there were some differences to these rooms.

Against one wall, standing out against all of the medieval decorations, was a work station comprised of some of the most high-tech-looking computers either the siblings had seen (Miko had been hanging around alien robots for the past two years so she wasn't gawking as much as the two Assassins).

"How'd you get these?" Maya, being the computer wiz that she was, immediately fell in love with all of the high-tech gizmos that were mounted to the wall and all but floated over to them.

Angus shrugged. "A bunch of friends who worked for the government gave me all of this when they retired. Worked for some agency, uh, NEST or something like that."

"Oooh I think I'm in love!" Maya muttered, stroking the screens almost gently. Eric gave his sister a weird look as he turned to Angus.

"Thanks for the room." He said, drawing the older Assassin's attention back to him. "What would we owe ya?"

The Scot gave a dismissive wave. "Ah, it's free of charge. Especially considering, uh, why you're here."

The two gave their old teacher sad smiles before the old man left and closed the door. Eric turned towards Maya, who had taken up an air of seriousness despite all the technology that surrounded her.

"Come on sis." He ordered gently. "We need to get going." He turned to Miko with a stern expression on his face. "If you move from this spot, I'll have Ratchet do unspeakable things to you."

"But…. he doesn't do that kind of stuff." Miko's voice was small and timid, something that Eric found himself a little proud of. Maya patted the shoulder of Miko before walking up to her brother, Eric seeing the determined light.

"Let's do this, Brother." She stated. Eric gave the teenager a shrug before walking out.

He thought he was ready to face whatever would be thrown his way.

Boy he was wrong.

 **A/N: Robert The Bruce was indeed a Scottish king in the fourteenth century who fought in the First War of Scottish Independence against England, though he probably wasn't an Assassin. The Treaty of Edinburg-Northampton was also a real treaty, signed in 1328 between the kingdoms of England and Scotland, ending the First War of Scottish Independence. History is awesome guys! Thanks again for those who have favored/followed my story. You guys are the best and keep me motivated!**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

Maya narrowed her eyes a little bit as she examined what was before her.

A medieval castle stood before her, a monument to a darker, bloodier time in the history of humanity.

This was where her father was hiding. This was where the traitor had fled to, an ancient Templar fortress where many Assassins in the past had died.

The bastard had seen his last sunrise.

"What're you thinking, Maya?" Eric whispered. Maya's eyes scanned the parapets that were outlined in the light of the moon. She couldn't see any figures of guards.

Her brow furrowed.

"It's too quiet." She whispered back. "I don't see any patrols on the parapets, but that could be because they're on the other side waiting for us."

Eric hummed in thought. Maya turned around, still hidden among the grass, to peer over at where Bulkhead sat hidden. They had arrived at the area where their father was hiding out around midnight, and after double checking the coordinates, the two started to slowly approach the castle. Maya hated the fact that she had to bellycrawl through the slightly muddy, very wet grass in the middle of a light drizzle, but she had to do what she had to do.

And she would do anything if she could get her hands around her father's traitorous throat.

She was still reeling from the news that her father had been a long-term sleeper agent, who had not only probably given many secrets about the Assassins away to the enemy, but probably had been the reason for the multiple attacks on many Assassin bases and hidden outposts, one of them being the one which their mother had been taken from them.

Maya wondered how her father took the news that their mother was dead.

He probably didn't even bother to mourn, as apparently the raid elevated him to a position in the Templars that put him right on the border of the Grand Master's own inner circle.

Maya's heart pounded as the two reached the stone walls. They stood, before they started to climb the wall, using gaps in the stone as hand-and-footholds. Maya didn't stop, even at one point when her hand slipped and she would've fallen.

But she kept going.

There was almost an obsessive look in her eyes as she climbed over the wall and landed on the walkway. She kept low as her brother landed next to her, and together, as one, they moved down the walkway. They were mere shadows as they moved into a room that looked to be used as an armory.

Empty racks lined the walls, and it didn't take too much for Maya to imagine ancient weapons being held in this room, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Maya thoroughly wished that she had lived during such a time, when the war between the Templars and Assassins was more black-and-white than it was in modern day. But she shook her head, figuring that there was a reason why she was apart of the Assassin Brotherhood in this time rather than in any other point in history.

"Pst."

Maya whipped her head around to Eric, where he was leaning up against the wall, next to a cracked open door. Light and voices pooled into the dark former armory, causing the siblings to be as silent as possible. Maya moved through the room to where her brother was, listening to the voices as they passed.

"And here's to a successful mission, boys!" a slurred voice, heavy with drunkenness, exclaimed. The voice was met with a round of cheers and laughter. "Now let's see those bloody Assassins try to come at us."

"I just think that the new leader will have something to do now that he's been officially inducted back into the Order." Another voice, sounding even drunker than the first voice, commented. Another round of drunken cheers roared.

"Di' anyone shee tha' beautif'l gir' tha' wath lookin' a' me?" A third voice asked, his voice sounding twice as drunk as the first two voices and effectively cutting off the serious conversation that had Maya and Eric almost leaning out of the armory to hear better. It was obvious that the man was probably stumbling around unevenly, probably being supported by his two buddies as they stumbled by. The voices disappeared down the hallway, most likely to sleep off their hangovers. Maya had to take several deep breaths in order to keep her anger under control.

Was their father going to launch another series of raids on the Assassins who were just starting to have some luck?

Was he going to supply a list to the Templar Grand Master that contained the names of those who were trying to infiltrate the Templars, and those who supplied the Assassins with funds?

Maya almost tensed up at the thought that Aunt June and Jack becoming targets for the Templars in order to get to the Everton siblings. Silently, Maya told herself that, no matter what, the Templars would not lay a _finger_ on the only family they had left.

Otherwise, there would be nothing, not even the Devil himself coming to drag her soul back to Hell, that would stop her from getting to her father.

Eric placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, as if sensing the burning rage that lay just beneath the surface. She knew that her brother would send her back to Bulkhead if he even suspected that her anger would cloud her judgment, so she just took another deep breath and nodded, showing that she was calm and clearheaded.

Eric seemed to buy it, as he nodded back before poking his head out into the hall. He gestured to Maya when he was sure that the hallway was clear. Maya and Eric kept to the shadows, maneuvering through the halls as safely and as quickly as possible, searching for anything that might've been the office belonging to the traitor.

After almost three hours of intense looking and dodging the occasional patrol that came by, Maya was starting to get frustrated.

"He's not here," Maya whispered to her brother as they ducked into broom closet. Maya had to admit, for this being an intensely spooky fortress that held dark secrets that would probably never be known to the world, the broom closet was a surprisingly mundane detail.

"Of course, he's here." Eric whispered back. "There were actual people who tracked him here. There are reports of seeing him here, meeting with multiple high-ranking Templars, but not leaving."

Both of them fell silent as they tried to think of where their father was. They had searched the entire middle level of the fortress, and come up with zilch. None of the patrols they evaded gave anything that the siblings could use. Most of the talk that swirled around the Scottish Templars was mostly what they were going to do that weekend or where they were going to go on leave.

Needless to say, Maya was seriously about to go crazy.

"Well," Maya gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "where do you think he would be? We've searched almost every room."

Maya watched as her brother entered his mind, as if trying to picture the layout of the fortress in his mind. Since it had such a heavy connection to Assassin history, it was a part of the core classes that was taught to those who were inducted into the Assassins at an early age. Included in the history, was a map that many of the Assassins were taught to study. Maya knew that Eric would intensively study old maps and layouts of places that were still in the Templars possession, almost as if he anticipated having to storm the places. In the past, she always thought he was a little crazy for doing stuff that like.

Now, though, she glad that he had done that.

"Okay," He stated slowly, drawing her out of her thoughts. "Let's try the eastern side. I have a feeling that he's going to be there."

Maya nodded before the two reentered the fray. It took much longer to get to the other side of the fortress, as they both noticed the sudden increase of guards when they crossed into the eastern part of the castle. The raven-haired woman took this as a good and bad sign.

Good sign because that meant that their father was most likely hiding behind all of these guards, paranoid that his traitorous actions would catch up to him.

Bad sign because it would be harder for the two to get to him.

But Maya would willingly throw herself in the path of bullets if it meant that she would be the one to strangle the man with her own hands.

The eastern section seemed a lot more modernized than the western side of the fortress. With the disappearance of rafters, the Everton siblings were left without the means of sneaking around, but after disposing and hiding the bodies of two Templar guards and donning their gear, they were able to move around. Maya was considerably uncomfortable in the dark, layered and heavy clothing but took comfort in the fact that she still had her Hidden Blade underneath the sleeve.

Maya and Eric were able to maneuver their way through the eastern corridor without much trouble. To say that Maya wanted to sprint down the hall was an understatement. But since she had to blend in, _hide in plain sight_ , meant that all she could do was briskly walk down the hall, weaving in and out of those that threatened to choke the hall.

"Hold it right there, you two!"

Maya stopped dead in her tracks, her blood freezing in fear. She and Eric turned, not sure what to expect. An older man, with salt-and-pepper hair, was striding towards them. By the way the patrols and other off-duty Templars moved out of his way hurriedly, the two suspected that he was a high-ranking member or at least very intimidating.

Though Maya didn't know what was so intimidating about a man who looked like he could've been in his mid-fifties.

 _What should we do?_ Maya asked her brother with her eyes.

 _Stay calm,_ Eric replied. He probably had noticed that she was wanted to flex her wrist and activate her Hidden Blade.

"And just where do you think you rookies are heading?" The man demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for the two in front of him to answer.

"Uh…." Maya, for some reason, couldn't come up with an answer and just shrugged. The man just sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if he dealt with this type of situation all the time.

"You're supposed to be guarding Mr. Everton." The man said with barely contained frustration. "He's down the hall, third door on the left. Get going. Now!"

The two moved, speeding down the hall at top speed. Maya was happy that the location of her father had been revealed to them without them having to actually use the rest of the night to track him down.

Maya was the first one to enter the room with Eric right behind her. She couldn't take more than three steps before her eyes landed on her father and she stopped dead in her tracks.

Leaning over the table in the room, muttering to himself, was James Philip Everton.

Maya took comfort in the fact that her father's betrayal seemed to be weighing on him. His hair was shockingly grey, a stark comparison to the ebony brown hair that the man used to have. When he glanced up, Maya noticed his dark blue eyes were circled by the dark purple bags that aged him at least ten years. Maya had to fight to keep herself from launching at the man that she had once idolized and looked up to for years. Instead, she kept her head down but also kept her eyes on the man who walked around the table in order to get a better look at the two.

"You two must be the new guards." James commented as he poured himself a small glass of bourbon. Maya and Eric kept their mouths shut as the man slowly placed the top back on the decanter and took a long swig of the bourbon. James licked his lips as he placed the glass on the table and turned to examine his two children. "What are your names?"

This was the spark that caused the smoldering rage to become a roaring fire. "Don't you recognize us, _father dear_?"

James's eyes went wide as Maya removed the cap that concealed her identity. Eric did so as well, but it wasn't as dramatic as Maya. Maya glared at her father, snarling almost ravenously like an animal. The fingers on her left hand curled into a fist, while she flexed her right wrist, sliding out her Hidden Blade. James moved towards a wall, where the two figured a panic-button was hidden, but Eric moved to block him. The two siblings hadn't actually planned on what they were going to do when they found their father, but from the way the senior Everton member slunk away slowly from his son, it was clear that he knew what was going to happen.

"Now, now." James tried to say, but Maya slammed her fist on the table, effectively silencing her father. He winced but stood his ground.

"You _betrayed_ the Assassins." Maya whispered as she moved closer. "We're here to dish out justice for those that were lost in the raid."

"What are you talking about? No one was killed. The Templars promised that no one would get hurt." James's sentence was only fuel for Maya's anger. She let out an angry, disbelieving laugh and quickly wiped the tears that had fallen.

"Did you _honestly_ believe that the Templars would leave any witnesses or survivors?" Maya was thankful that her brother spoke, as she was too busy trying to calm the roaring fire that burned inside her.

 _Anger only makes you reckless,_ she chanted in her mind. She took deep breaths, trying to calm the roaring fire. When the fire died down a bit, she turned back to the conversation going on between her brother and father.

"I received a promise from the Grand Master _himself_ that no one would get hurt." James turned his attention over to Maya who was fighting back tears. One slipped when the older man pointed to her and said, "You were there, as well as your mother. I would _never_ put you three in unnecessary danger."

Maya's lip trembled, something she hated because it showed outward weakness, as she said, "I left minutes before the raid."

"What?"

Eric stepped in as Maya tried to get a hold on her emotions. "I was on an errand when I received a phone call from the leader of the base. He had gotten there just in time to push back the Templars. But…. our mother, _your wife,_ had lost too much blood. She, and five initiates, died on the scene." James leaned against the wall, shocked to hear the news about his "beloved's" death while Eric continued, "She died, believing that you show up and help her."

Maya closed her eyes, repressing the memories of pulling up to the outpost and seeing her brother cradling her mother's slowly cooling corpse. She managed to get there in time to say goodbye, but not in time to apologize about what she said before she left.

"They told me…."

Maya glanced up, tears now fully falling down her face. James caught glare, and Maya couldn't believe the look of sadness gleaming in his blue eyes.

"You were never loyal to the Assassins, were you?" The realization that dawned on her almost caused her to pitch forward and vomit all over the floor. She pushed the bile down before moving forward. Her father took a step back, almost as though he feared his daughter.

And he should be afraid.

"You were _always_ a Templar-sleeper agent. H-how could you _possibly_ be feeling _anything_ similar to remorse or grief?! You have _no right to grieve!_ Our mother _died_ because of you! _HOW DARE YOU!_ "

Maya's vision suddenly exploded in red as she launched herself at the man who had sired her. She distinctly heard Eric's voice behind her, calling her name and trying to get her to stop.

But to stop what, she didn't know.

All she knew that her vision only cleared when she was yanked up by her brother. Her vision became clearer, and as her breathing started to slow down, she noticed that blood was splattered on the walls, soaking her hands, her clothes and running down her face a little bit. But the blood wasn't hers.

Her eyes went wide at the sight before her.

All hell seemed to break loose at that point.

It seemed that, during their argument and Maya's pummeling, Eric had thankfully blocked the door with the bookshelf but from the way the way it rocked forward, Maya could believe that the Templars out in the hall had heard the argument and were trying to get in.

Eric didn't waste any time. He threw a still-catatonic Maya over his shoulder, fire-fighter style, and leapt out the window. Since they were only on the second level, it wasn't too bad of a drop. But when Eric collided with the ground, both rolled in the grass.

They didn't stay down for long though. Alarms and shouts coming from the castle had the two scrambling onto their feet and dashing towards Bulkhead.

"What's going on?" the Autobot asked.

"Don't have time to explain! Just drive!" Eric ordered as he watched a whole bunch of Templars pooled out of the castle and towards the car. Maya didn't even feel the movement as Bulkhead started his engine, backed up, and took off back towards the village where Miko was. Her dull, grey eyes stared forward blankly, her bloodied hands clenched in her lap. She didn't even look up when the young Japanese girl entered the vehicle, and the four of them entered the groundbridge right as Templar vehicles entered the village.

She only snapped out of her daze when Eric opened up the door and helped her out when they all arrived back at base. June immediately walked up to her when she noticed the dried blood on her hands, but Maya just pushed herself back into Eric's arms, afraid to face her. She didn't realize that her and Eric's hood was back on her head.

"Sis?" Eric's voice was muffled.

Maya turned towards her brother and it became too much for her.

Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and darkness swarmed her vision.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm gonna go ahead and assume that since this is Chapter 17 and no one's commented or messaged me about the inaccuracies in the AC Lore, I dare say I'm doing a pretty good job.** **. Thank you to all of those who have faved/followed this story closely. Your continued support is a blessing to have. Now, on with the story!**

Interlude 2: June Darby 

June Darby stared up at the ceiling blankly, unsure of what drew her out of a deep sleep.

It had been almost five days since she came home from work, worried sick about Eric and Maya, only to find them sitting on the couch with Eric whispering comforting words to a dead-eyed Maya. June could barely stand the look on the woman's face, the empty look in those normally bright and energetic eyes. She had immediately started to interrogate Eric, questioning and trying to pry as many answers as she could about their whereabouts. He refused to answer where they were, saying that it was better for her not to know.

Maya spent the majority of the days after they returned staring blankly at the screen of the television, hugging herself and shaking. She wouldn't talk to anyone, wouldn't acknowledge when June placed a plate of food and a glass of water in front of her at dinner time. She just sat there silently, standing and robotically moving to the guest room. Eric would sigh sadly before abandoning his half-eaten dinner to follow his sister.

June felt worry grow in the pit of her stomach as the week progressed but tonight it was even worse. There was still no read out or response from Maya, and Eric was still closed off. It was hard not to scream in frustration and desperation. But she managed to keep a lid on it. When she dressed for bed, it was like a pit of cement had settled in her stomach, making it hard to relax. And the worry didn't go away, even as she curled up under the covers and tried to get some sleep.

But she wasn't asleep for very long, according to the alarm, when, from the depths of a deep sleep, she awoke. Her 'Mother Hen Instincts' (as Miko described it) warned her that the tense silence meant that something was wrong. But as she sat up, with a heavy sigh of annoyance, June glanced around the darkened room.

Nothing seemed out of place, and from what she heard, a relatively peaceful atmosphere had settled over the house.

After several more minutes of being tensely still, trying to figure out why she had been pulled out of sleep, June stretched and settled back underneath the covers. She closed her eyes, allowing her breathing to level out as she went straight back into the arms of sleep…

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

…Only to jerk upward when a blood-curdling scream echoed through the house.

Heart pounding, her 'Mother Hen Instincts' kicked right in. She didn't hesitate to jump out of bed, and grabbing the heaviest object she could blindly grab (which was a thick book she was reading during her spare time), ran out of the room and down the hall. The nurse almost ran straight into Jack, who looked disheveled and unsure of what was going on and was carrying a wooden bat. The two immediately went to the guest bedroom, where the screaming was coming from.

Jack shoved the door open, and the two of them ran into the room, brandishing their makeshift weapons. Eric had his flailing, struggling sister in a tight, gentle embrace, trying to calm her down. He only gave the two of them a fleeting glance.

Maya seemed to be in the throes of a terrible nightmare. Tears were streaming down her face through her still-closed eyes. She was shouting at an unseen assailant, asking whoever was bothering her to leave her alone and why they were tormenting her.

"Eric?" June asked, really worried. But the long-haired man was too focused on getting his sister to calm down to notice the question.

Holding her tightly, Eric whispered softly, rocking her back and forth. Finally, she seemed to fall back into a deep sleep.

The man gently laid her back down, placing a blanket over her before standing and turning towards the two waiting at the door. June felt her heart lurch at the darkness that was held in her nephew's eyes that were accentuated by the dark bags that suggested multiple sleepless nights. He looked much older than he was, like the weight of the world weighed down on his shoulders and was pulling him down as he was slowly giving up fighting against the pull.

"Eric?" June tried again. The man just looked over at her and giving her a small, sad smile.

"Sorry about that you two." He apologized softly. "Why don't we move to the kitchen, Aunt June? Jack, you need to go back to bed. You've got school tomorrow."

"Yeah. Yeah. Sure." Jack gave a weary look over at June, who gave him a quick peck on the forehead, before walking back to his room. The two adults left the guest bedroom, and moved towards the kitchen. June sat the bar and watched Eric move around the kitchen with practiced ease, making a pot of coffee.

Finally, the tense silence seemed to weigh on her, so she asked, "Is everything okay?"

Eric was quiet for a long minute, his quick movements quiet. "Yeah, everything's okay."

June quirked an eyebrow at the man's tone. It was said with barely contained anger that had June immediately knowing that everything wasn't okay. She sighed heavily through her nose, accepting the cup of coffee that Eric had made. The woman and her nephew sat there, quietly sipping their coffee in a tense silence.

June decided to try to get her nephew to open up, hoping that whatever he and Maya were involved in was not what Julia was involved in before she died, as she did the same thing the two were doing at the moment.

Pushing her away.

"Eric, please tell me where you two were." She begged. "Don't push me away like your mother did."

Eric tensed, his hands curling around the coffee cup to the point where June was afraid that it would shatter.

"I-"

Whatever he was going to say died in the man's throat as he glanced away and sighed. June waited, thinking it wasn't wise to press anymore as Eric seemed just on the verge of opening up. Her patient proved to be a good idea as, at last, Eric glanced up with his dark eyes moist with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Aunt June." He whispered. "But I- I can't put you and Jack in danger. I'm sorry."

June watched as Eric padded back to his room, unsure if she should go after him. She sighed as sat back down, defeated as the guest bedroom door slammed shut. The tired nurse felt exhaustion weigh her down as she pushed her still-steaming mug of coffee away. Since she was alone, June placed her head down on the counter and just cried.

The next morning when she went to wake Jack up for school, she realized that Maya and Eric were gone. The guest bedroom had been cleaned out and everything that had shown that the bedroom had been lived in for the last month and a half had been removed. June noticed that there was a note on the nightstand.

It read, 'Dear Aunt June, thank you so much for housing us for so long. I'm afraid that Maya and I had to go back to New York. I wish we had time to say goodbye, but unfortunately, we have a long drive back. Tell Jack we wish him luck with everything and please keep in touch. Love you, Eric and Maya.'

June plopped down on the bed, the note crumbling in her hand.

"Mom?"

She swiveled her head over to where Jack was standing in the threshold. "What is it, sweetie?"

The boy just shrugged. "Are you okay? You look kind of…down."

"I'm fine." She lied as she stood. "I just…you'll tell me if something's bothering you right?"

"Of course, mom. You know I would." Then, it appeared, he noticed that the guest bedroom was empty. "Where is Maya and Eric?"

June brandished the note, explaining how it said that they left for New York. Jack seemed surprised that the two didn't want to say goodbye to him, but probably assumed that they needed to get back since they were gone a while. He left to get ready for school, leaving June in the room by herself once again. Since she had the day off, she decided to spend it with the Autobots, as she wanted some sort of company.

She sighed.

Why couldn't her life be normal like her niece and nephew? 

**A/N: What's this? Another note at the end of the chapter? Inconceivable!  
Anyway, I've been getting some messages about who Eric and Maya's ancestor. I've been trying to get a story about her and Connor written but nothing seems to flow right. I guess it's time to try it again lol. Sorry if there has been any confusion. **


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Maya slowly swung the wooden pole that she held in her hand in a wide circle.

The young woman was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her skin glittering underneath the luminescent light. It was approaching the fifth hour of straight training for Maya, but she didn't care about the exhaustion that was weighing on her.

Her moves were still sharp, precise and accurate, her footwork moving easily with the position of her body. Maya had gone through an entire life time of training in five hours.

And she didn't plan on stopping any time soon.

Maya and Eric had left Aunt June's house at the earliest hours of the morning while their relatives were still asleep. Maya had a feeling that something bad was going to happen to the two of them if they didn't leave, so Eric had snuck them out and the two arrived at the Autobot base around three in the morning. Optimus had gladly allowed them to take up their old room after Eric had told them what happened. The first thing the two did was to crash, though Eric informed her that she woke up several times due to horrific nightmares. But by sunrise, Maya had given up on sleep and decided to train.

So, while Eric left to get the two of them breakfast, she had been training, going through the entire training regime that she had learned over the course of her time in the Assassin Brotherhood slowly and methodically.

She hasn't stopped once, not even when he came back with a dozen chocolate covered donuts with sprinkles, her favorite.

Maya needed something to take her mind off what happened in Scotland. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw what she did to her father. Granted, he was nothing but a sleeze-ball traitor who murdered his own wife, but the brutality of what she did to him haunted her. Never in her career as an Assassin had she done such an overkill, since her kills were clean and quick. Eric told her constantly that it was okay and that she did what she had to do. But she didn't think so.

Regardless, Maya was definitely in the mood to take her mind off the past.

She stopped mid-kick, figuring that it was time for a break. Maya managed to find a towel, wiping the sweat off her body before donning her Assassin robes and leaving the room for the first time since she woke up. Her sore body protested each step, but she managed to continue until the soreness was pushed to the back of her mind.

For it being a Saturday, the base was quiet, and the atmosphere subdued. Jack, Raf and Miko were there, as usual. Raf was doing homework while Jack and Miko were playing a video game. Maya felt really bad when she noticed the way Jack was playing halfheartedly, as though he wasn't really concentrating on the game at all, but thinking about something else.

They didn't have any choice in the matter in regard to the decision to leave Aunt June permanently. If the Templars ever investigated the attack and death of James Philip Everton too closely, they would put his immediate family under surveillance to see if they had anything to do with him. And with the constant comings and goings of the June and Jack, Maya was sure the Templars would no doubt discover the secret war that was far older than theirs.

Maya noticed that Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Bulkhead weren't there, and were probably on patrol, leaving only Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee at the base. Maya sighed as she noticed her brother missing. Something told her that he was on top of the mesa either watching the sky or meditating.

"Well, looks who's finally come out of her hidey hole."

Maya glanced up at Miko, who had been the first one to spot her as she lingered behind the corner. She forced a smile (more for her sake than for the children's) as she walked out of the shadows. Jack perked up, watching as she climbed the stairs. When she was on the platform, she noticed that Ratchet watched her carefully, but also trying to make sure she didn't noticed.

But she noticed.

She noticed how the Autobots treated her. They tip-toed around her when she woke up during her very vocal bouts of nightmares, but they also eyed her with suspicion, as though she would turn on them and attack the children. Optimus was the only who wasn't like that, though he did give her and Eric a lecture about how the Autobots operated when they explained to them what went down in Scotland.

"No human was to be harmed, no matter what."

Maya knew that Eric explained why they had to kill their father, though the Autobots didn't know that James was their father, they just knew that he was a traitor from the Brotherhood, but also, he said that they would think about the 'policy'.

She also knew that they would never actually follow it, as Silas and their enemies were much too dangerous to be kept alive.

Maya plopped down on the couch as the kids returned to their game. While they were distracted, she pulled out her diary and started to make an entry. The entry was an out of date view that just about no one in the Assassins believed anymore. She wondered to herself that, if the leaders of both organizations were removed and a new generation who thought differently rose to power, maybe there could be a chance of peace. It a view that was shared by Mirabeau, mentor of the Parisian Brotherhood at the time of the French Revolution and was almost successful until his assassination at the hands of the radical member, Pierre Bellac.

The woman noticed while she was studying this time period extensively that if there were two members who honestly wanted to change, then there could be a chance of peace. Probably the first _true_ peace that either order has experienced in over countless millennium.

But the two orders were too stuck up in their own asses to change, and they were too set in their ways to even consider.

When Maya blinked, she realized that she had filled up five whole pages of her journal with something that could be considered traitorous nowadays. She moved to tear the pages out, but stopped, hesitating in her actions. After another moment of consideration, Maya decided to keep the entry and shut her journal. She gained some strange looks from the kids as she slammed her journal with a frustrated sigh, but they didn't say anything. Just went back to their video games.

It was around noon when Eric came back down from wherever he had been. He didn't say anything to her.

And Maya was grateful for that.

She knew that there wasn't anything to be ashamed of, especially nightmares. She knew that Eric would get them on occasion, as well as the other members of the Assassins…

But she never got them. Not even after her first kill when she was officially initiated into the Assassins. Maya always prided herself in being a strong-willed person, not getting scared by anything. Now though, one little incident with her father, and she's suddenly plagued with nightmares like some soft-hearted, lower-level initiate.

The woman glanced over to her left when she felt the couch's cushions shift. Raf smiled up at her kindly, his chocolate brown eyes glittering innocently.

Those eyes reminded her of Shaun. They also reminded her that she needed to call him back to thank him for the motorcycle plans. She smiled a little to herself as she could just imagine the conversation that would happen when she called him.

 _Oh god,_ she chuckled to herself, _I can just imagine._

"What are you smiling about?" Raf's question had her blinking. She blushed a little bit.

"Just…. thinking about things." Maya answered as she shut her journal closed.

"What kind of things?"

She smiled at the younger boy. "Just things. I was just wondering if this war between the Templars could be ended in my lifetime."

Maya sighed as she stood and placed her journal on the table among the four pages of the Codex. She reminded that she and Eric would have to travel to give the pages and Keys back.

 _Maybe we can do that today,_ Maya thought absently. She perked up a bit when she heard Eric enter the room.

"Hey bro, quick question."

"Okay, quick answer."

"Do you want to give the Keys and the pages of the Codex back to the Syrian Brotherhood?"

"Ratchet? Do we have permission to use the groundbridge?"

The Autobot medic, his optics still glued to the screen, said, "Of course, you do. Just make sure to bring some protection."

Maya scoffed. "We're going to Syria. The place is the only major Assassin stronghold in the modern era. It's not like we're going to be walking into a Templar-infested snake hole."

"Still." Optimus's voice cut off the retort from Ratchet. "I would advise you to take one of my soldiers so you can have some protection."

"Ya know, I think that you only come out of your hidey-hole just to tell us to be careful or to order the other Autobots to do something." Maya stated, unable to keep the statement from slipping past her tongue.

"Sister." Eric's hiss was overshadowed by Miko's chuckle. "If you insist Optimus, then we can have Arcee come with us. She's quicker than the others. No offense guys."

"None taken." Ratchet said all too quickly.

"Arcee? You up for a trip to beautiful Syria?" Maya asked as the three other Autobots who had come back from patrol.

The femme shrugged. "I'm down."

Maya blinked before turning to her cousin. "Jack? Wanna tag along?"

"What?" Jack asked.

"Sister!" Eric berated her. "We can't take a civilian on a mission."

"I don't think that I can carry three people." Arcee added.

"Well, then you don't have to come." Maya stated with sass to her brother. She simply wanted to have some quality time with her cousin, even if he didn't know that she was his cousin.

"Fine. I didn't even want to go anyway." Eric whispered as he turned around and walked away. Maya watched him go, wondering exactly what his problem was. She sighed, finally feeling the dark mood that hung over her for the past few weeks dissipate a little.

 _A little fresh air will do me some good,_ she thought as she carefully packed the things. She also ran to her room and brought a robe that she found a too small robe that Eric kept with him for some strange reason. Maya smirked as she tossed the boy the robes, shrugging as he looked at it curiously.

"Even though I said it's an Assassin stronghold, the Templars still have eyes and ears everywhere. You don't want to put your mother or yourself in danger."

"You have a point." Jack admitted before pulling the robe on. Maya's smile faded when she noticed that it fit him perfectly and when he placed the hood on his head, her heart broke completely. He looked exactly like Eric did when he was younger and so full of hope and naivety.

Jack needed to be kept out of the war between the Assassins and Templars at all costs.

And this war needed to end.

"You ready?"

Maya plastered a smile on her face as she turned to Arcee. "Allons-y."

Almost thirty minutes later, Maya and Jack were riding through the streets of Damascus. The city was chock full of tourists and locals. Many of the locals gave the two of them strange looks, but Maya, used to blending, just ordered Jack to not look around and just pretend like he was supposed to be there. After twenty more minutes of riding around, Maya decided that the Assassin's spies that were watching them had spotted them and had reported them to their superiors.

So, after parking Arcee somewhere out of sight in an area of the Old City, Maya and Jack walked into a seemingly ordinary looking shop selling handmade items. She walked up to the counter, where an older woman was standing.

"As-salam alaykom, madam." Maya greeted, rolling the language off her tongue perfectly. "I was wondering if you would help us with something."

"Wa Alykom as-Alam." The woman stated back, though it seemed slightly biting. "What can I do for you, young lady?"

"I am looking for a man named Altair Ibn-La-Ahad. He said that he would meet me here to discuss something."

After years of studying body language, Maya had to give props to the woman. Even though Maya saw the very minute change in the woman's body language, she managed to keep her face unimpressed and blank.

"I am sorry, young lady, but there is no one here by that name." The woman tried to move away, but Maya moved farther down the counter, trying to get her to look her into the eye. When she did get the woman to look her in the eye, Maya whispered a couple of words in the ancient language of the Assassin Brotherhood, the phrase that is used during the initiation ceremony. Finally, the woman allows a small, sly smile to appear on her face.

Pulling open a small door to the counter, the woman gestures for Maya and Jack to follow her. She led them to a small back room with chairs and sofas scattered around different areas in the room.

"Wait here," the woman orders before leaving the two of them hurriedly. Jack, not used to this kind of thing, just looks at her worriedly.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"This is one of the main bases in the city." Maya explained as she reclined on a rather comfortable sofa. She watched Jack, where he was perched on the edge of a chair. Despite herself, she chuckled. "Relax. It's not like we're going to get arrested or something."

"But…. this is…. this doesn't look like a base." Jack stated, still looking tense.

Again, Maya chuckled. "Well, not everyone can afford an abandoned military base." She leaned forward, serious as she explained, "One of the main tenants of our creed is that we must remain hidden in plain sight. It was a tactic used by the earlier members when superstition ruled.

"Back then, when a member of the Assassin Brotherhood was spotted assassinating their target, there was a supernatural element added when the member disappeared, seemingly into thin air. And since we couldn't have a bunch of hooded people seen coming in and out of buildings that were supposed to be our headquarters, we hide our headquarters some place that doesn't look out of place."

"Oh." Jack said as he leaned back, seemingly relaxed. "What do you guys do now?"

Maya shrugged, throwing her legs over the arms of the chair. "The Creed is a little harder to follow since surveillance is everywhere nowadays. But we're working through it. The Templars have an easier time than the Assassins because they control the government."

"Which one?"

"Just about all of them." A deep voice answered. Maya quickly stood, Jack doing the same though he squeezed his way past her, until he was right behind Maya. The raven-haired woman relaxed a little bit when the current leader of the Syrian Brotherhood stepped through the curtain. He removed his tattered hood from his hood, his black hair gleaming in the low light and his dark eyes staring. "As-salam alaykom, Sister."

"Wa Alykom as-Alam." Maya greeted clasped each other's forearm. "Going a little grey there on the sides, Mahdi."

The man touched the side of his hair, a small smile playing on his lips. "Comes with the territory, Sister." Jack shifting himself caught Mahdi's eyes. "And who is this?"

"This is my apprentice, Douglas." Maya lied.

"You don't have a Blade." Mahdi stated to Jack.

"He has yet to have his first Blooding." Maya again interjected. "But that is not why we're here. We're here to give you these."

She took a moment to dig out the artefacts from her bag. When she handed them over, Mahdi's face was a mixture of awe, confusion and wonder.

"How….?"

"Masyaf must've been broken into earlier this year by archeologists." Maya explained. "Brother and I liberated them from a museum in Jasper, Nevada, and just in time too. The Templars were about to get their hands on them."

"We had one of the Keys delivered to us by man on the inside of the archeology sights and I was wondering where the others were." Mahdi took his time studying the Keys, tracing the intricate designs softly with his thumb. "What else did you find?"

Maya pulled out the Hidden Blade of Ezio Auditore and the pages of the original Codex, along with the other Masyaf Keys. With each artefact revealed, Mahdi was getting more and more anxious. When the last artefact was shown, it was clear that Mahdi was trying to keep his anger down.

"I assure you; this will be the last time the Templars will pull something like this again." Mahdi declared. He handed the last of the artefacts to a soldier, who had come to take the artefacts back to the ancient stronghold. "We will make sure that Masyaf Fortress shall remain closed to anyone who is not a part of the Assassin Brotherhood. Thank you, Sister, for returning the most sacred objects of our Order."

"Of course, Mahdi. Always a pleasure to help." Maya stated.

"Please, stay a little bit. My wife has made dinner and it is just about ready."

"Thank you, Mahdi. Douglas, what do you say? Wanna stay for some dinner?"

"Uh, sure."

Mahdi guided her and Jack down a series of levels until they were in a little homey looking cavern. They entered a room which reminded Maya of an underground kitchen with Mahdi's wife pulling something out of the oven and there were already several people at the table, laughing and having a good time. However, the laughter stopped when Mahdi, Maya and Jack entered the room.

But the silence lasted all of five seconds before the Assassins greeted Maya with a roar of greetings.

"Sister!" A large man exclaimed as he stood, slapping his large hand on her shoulder. Maya nearly went down but she did it with a smile.

"Hey Saad." Maya greeted. "How's it going?"

"Excellent! Come, you and your apprentice are welcomed. Dinner is almost ready."

Maya and Jack sat next to each other, while Mahdi's wife, Yara, placed food on the table. At one point, their five-year-old daughter toddled into the room. Maya smiled widely as she greeted Rima before she was lifted in the air by her father, eliciting giggles from the toddler.

The atmosphere that came about during the dinner was lighthearted and happy. Maya could tell that Jack was enjoying himself, laughing along with the older Assassins.

However, all of this ended when everyone heard a loud _POP! POP!_ upstairs followed by a scream.

Maya's heart started to pound as she, and apparently everyone else in the room, realized that the Templars or someone else was raiding the place.

And Jack, her cousin who she wanted to keep out of this fight, was caught in the crossfire.

"We need to go." Maya said to her cousin, grabbing him by the arm and heading down a hallway that she hoped led to another set of stairs. While she did that, the members of the Syrian Brotherhood climbed the stairs in hopes to meet whoever was coming in here to attack the Assassin Brotherhood.

Maya had to push herself and Jack into a closet as six soldiers came down the stairs that they were aiming for. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that the group was made up of a combination of Templars and MECH.

Anger rose in her as the realization that two of the Assassins enemies _dared_ to attack this sacred place.

Were they after the Masyaf Keys? Mahdi had ordered them to be taken away to a safer, more secured place almost as soon as he realized what he had, so they weren't really there anymore.

Or was it just because they could attack?

Maybe the Templars were sick and tired of the Assassins holding to the city. Syria was the only place in the world that has remained in the Assassins hold over the course of history. Here, the Templars were the weakest one. But now, with MECH and their high-tech weapons, the Templars now became bold enough to attack the most powerful Assassin stronghold in the world.

"Sister, what are we going to do?" Jack's slightly terrified voice brought Maya back to her body.

She was torn between helping her comrades and protecting Jack. The screams of her brothers and sisters in arms echoed in her ears, and the sight of Rima watching her parents trying to keep these horrible men away from her was enough to make her puke. But Jack's slightly frightening breathing contested with the screams and sounds of gunfire.

Maya quickly glanced out of the closet, and after making sure that there were no more men coming down, she turned to her cousin. "Go, find Arcee and get the hell out of here."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to help my comrades." Maya said before dashing off. She knew that if Aunt June found out who she was and she left her only son in the middle of a literal warzone, she wouldn't live to see another sunrise.

But she didn't care. She needed to help.

The underground base was a mess. Men were fighting in the close quarters, with the MECH's and Templar's weapons being very ineffectual. But the MECH and Templar soldiers that weren't fighting hand-to-hand with the Assassins trying to bring them into a place where their skills were at their peak were busy gunning down those that were trying to escape. Maya's breath caught in her throat as she spotted some of the younger Assassins, children no older than Raf, laying on the ground lifeless and bleeding.

 _Dear God no,_ Maya thought sadly before flicking her wrist and angrily stabbing it into the neck of a MECH soldier who's back was turned to her. She searched desperately for Mahdi and his family, but the smoke was becoming too great.

She needed to retreat while she still could.

After taking down five more MECH and Templars, Maya, saddened by the fact that she had to leave her brothers-and-sisters-in-arms to fight this battle, turned around and left. She ran, slaying the Templar and MECH soldiers that were still coming in through different area points.

She ran until she found Jack and Arcee, the Autobot femme still parked where they left her. Jack was looking anxious and worried, but relief filtered through his face when he caught her eye. However, the relief seemed to melt as he glanced behind her.

Maya had a feeling that there were a couple of men trying to get to her, probably pushing through the crowds of the streets.

"Go! Go! Go!" she shouted as she dodged the hail of bullets that her pursuers shot at her. She saw Arcee take off, forcing her to swing onto the Cybertronian femme right as she passed by. Maya nearly felt her arm pop out of her socket and she grunted in pain when she felt a bullet graze her arm, but at least she was in one piece.

They managed to dodge their pursuers long enough for them to reach the outskirts of the town and call for a groundbridge. There was some irony in the fact that they waited a couple miles from Masyaf Castle, the one place that Maya wanted to visit, but she wasn't feeling up ot seeing the ancient castle.

Maya was quiet the entire time they were waiting. Her mind was playing back the attack, the faces of those children, _children_ for God's sake, lying dead on the ground.

Their lives cut short, their dreams that would never come true, their future snatched from them in an instant.

They would never experience love, sadness, joy or excitement.

A tear fell her eyes as she leaned over, placing her head in her hands. She tried to get the images of those lifeless eyes out of her mind but she couldn't.

"Sister?" Jack asked hesitantly as she tried to bit back a sob.

"I'm fine, Jack." Maya said, though she didn't sound convincing. "How are you? Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, no, I'm fine."

"Good." There was silence. "Don't tell your mother about this. She'll react worse than Brother if she hears about this."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

"Shake a leg you two." Arcee's voice startled them out of her thoughts. Together they turned towards the open field, and when Maya blinked, the groundbridge was there. Maya gave one last look over at the city from which they had just come from before, along with Jack, straddled Arcee and the two drove into the portal.


	20. Chapter 19

**AN: These next few chapters will be kinda short.**

Chapter 19

" _And in international news, there was a shooting in downtown Damascus earlier this evening."_

"Ow." Maya hissed as Eric dabbed a bit of disinfectant on her wound.

"Hold still," He ordered. He turned his attention back to the news.

 _" Reports say that a local tourist shop had been raided by a local para-military group and set ablaze. There have been no reports on how many deaths there were, but we do know that husband and wife storeowners, Mahdi and Yara, were both killed in this unprecedented attack. Their five-year-old daughter Rima has been placed in the care of her grandparents."_

"Dear God, no." Maya whispered. Eric sighed sadly as he finished up his sister's medical exam. The wound wasn't too deep but it was deep enough that she needed a good wipe of disinfectant and a couple of stitches. He had turned the news on when his sister, Jack and Arcee had returned when he noticed that she was bleeding a little and there was a tear in her jacket.

He suspected an attack while she was gone.

But he never expected the attack to be as bad as the news report or what his family said.

"I can't believe that MECH and the Templars were stupid enough to attack one of the greatest Assassin strongholds in the world." Eric muttered as he finished up on his sister. "You're good to go, Sis."

Maya didn't move. She stayed where she was, her misty eyes glued to the television.

 _"_ _It is believed that the suspects, who are currently in custody, belong to the terrorist organization known as MECH, though the reports have yet to be verified. We will keep you updated on the events as they continue to unfold. Back to you, John."_

"Well, at least the attack failed." Eric stood and quickly turned off the television. Maya still stayed where she was. This had Eric a little worried.

"Maya? Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?" But Maya was still unresponsive. Okay, now he was concerned. He sat down, gently touching his sister's unhurt arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Her lips quivered and a tear slid down her cheek before she whispered, "There were so many kids there, Eric."

"What?" This wasn't what he expected to hear.

Those words seemed to break Maya's hold on her emotions, as she started to softly sob. "There were so many kids that died, Eric. And….and no matter how much I try, I can't get their dead faces out of my head!"

Eric quickly pulled Maya closer, allowing his sister to cry on his shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have let his sister go to Syria so soon after what happened in Scotland. "It's okay, Maya."

"No, it's not." Maya muttered. She stood, pushing him away as she wiped away the tears that continued to fall. His sister took a shuddering breath before continuing, "This war has to end."

"I know that, sis. And we're doing the best we can to win." Eric insisted, but that only appeared to make Maya angrier.

"No, I don't want to _win_ this war, Eric. I want it to _end_. Templars, Assassins…...what's the difference?"

"You know the difference, Maya." He was really starting to get worried now. "The Assassins are trying to keep the Templars from enslaving all of mankind."

Maya looked at him, disbelieving as though those were the words she wasn't expecting. "Open your eyes Eric! You're just as blind as the rest of them! The Templars and Assassins, they're _nothing_ but pawns in Juno and Minerva's little game. We exist only to bring them back so that they can regain their power! We exist only to kill each other over meaningless trinkets!"

"Those _meaningless trinkets_ ," Eric interjected frustratingly, desperately trying to keep a lid on his temper, "are the things that the Templars would use to enslave all of us."

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!" Maya shouted. Eric took a step back out of shock. He'd never seen his sister this angry. "How many more children will become orphans in this war?! How many more children will wake up and find their parents murdered in their beds?! How many will be groomed by both sides to be the perfect soldiers because they're driven by their need for revenge!? How many lives will be thrown away for nothing!?"

Eric sat there, blinking in shock. Maya took a couple of deep breaths before she spoke again.

"I'm tired of all the death and destruction, Eric." She whispered. The raven-haired man's heart broke at the look in his sister's eyes. A look of hopelessness, despair and brokenness.

A look that aged her decades.

"What you're saying is borderline crazy, Maya." Eric said. There was a couple of minutes of dead silence, in which Eric saw Maya close her eyes, tears now running freely down her cheek and her jaw set. "You don't need to go around saying that you want peace. Otherwise, people will start to think that you're a Rogue. There will never be peace between our kind. The Templars will never agree to an alliance. You're just being naïve."

Eric regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth. He watched as something in Maya finally broke, something that would never be put back together. She looked away, taking another shuddering breath.

"I'm going on a drive." She announced before she stormed out the door.

Eric ran after her, knowing that allowing his sister to go on a drive while she was angry…he knew it would lead to something awful.

"Sister, you're not going anywhere!" Eric stated as he moved to block her. He distinctly felt all eyes on him as he placed himself in front of Maya's motorcycle, grabbing the handle bars forcefully. "You can't go out while you're like this!"

"Get out of the way, Brother." May ordered. Her voice sounded strained from inside the helmet.

"I'm not letting you go. The last time you went out like this, you disappeared for six months without any contact. I'm _not_ going through that again."

Maya slowly removed her helmet, tossing it aside before getting off her motorcycle. The anger was clear on her face and there was something else. Something akin to betrayal.

"It's _always_ been about you." Maya spat as she stalked toward him. "Always been about what _you_ want. About what _you_ think. We don't make a move until _you_ say so. You think you were the only one to suffer when Mom was killed?" Her voice broke as she struggled to maintain her emotions. "You think you were the only who felt betrayed when it was revealed that our dad was a Templar?!"

Eric glanced down, but not feeling intimidated. _Just let her burn herself out. Then we can talk like civilized adults._

"You're nothing but a brooding puppet. You're just like every other member that has come out of the Assassin Order in the past decade! Brainwashed into believing an old, meaningless feud is something worth fighting for."

"But it is! If we don't fight the Templars, then we will be wiped out and this world will fall under their control!" Eric didn't want to escalate this, knowing that adding more fuel to the fire would only get him burned.

He didn't care.

Maya's dry laugh, her iron-grey eyes becoming watery. Eric's heart strained at the sight of a tear falling down her cheek.

'You're just like them." Her lip quivered. "It's like I said, _Brother_. We're nothing but pawns in Minerva's and Juno's game. Nothing but tools for them to use to get what they want. We've been pitted against one another, just so they could get their greedy hands back on the power that they squandered!" Maya took a shaky breath. "The Isu had their chance. We only have a short amount of time left before we truly destroy ourselves in this fight."

Eric watched his sister straddle her bike, placing her helmet over her head.

"You'll let me leave and not follow me, Brother." She ordered lowly. "Or you'll regret it."

Eric stepped out of the way as Maya recklessly drove past him and out of the tunnel. He bowed his head, growling heavily as he marched back to his room, wanting and needing something to get this anger out of him.

He didn't even hear Miko's whispered words to the others. "What was that all about?"


	21. Chapter 20

**AN: To the guest that commented on the previous chapter, I hope that was a good 'holy crap'.**

Chapter 20 

Maya didn't know where she was going.

All she knew was that she needed to get as far away from Jasper.

The small town that she once saw as a place of freedom for a little while has now become a place of sorrow.

With tears blurring her vision, Maya merged onto the interstate, taking exits randomly. Finally, she figured that she was so turned around that not even the Autobots could find her. She didn't even know where _she_ was.

 _Some abandoned back road_ , Maya thought as she kicked out her stand and stood. Angrily she ripped of her helmet and tossed it aside. The woman sighed before shoving her hands into her pockets and walked a little way. She let her feet guide her, taking her time until she found a clearing in the middle of the forest. Maya glanced up at the setting sky, feeling oddly at peace with herself.

She smirked. "You may be an ex-Special Ops, but you're sneaking skills are lousy."

There was a husky chuckle behind her. "Guess I'm becoming far too reliant on technology."

"Maybe so, but you can't really sneak up on a seasoned Assassin, such as myself, Silas." She turned around, facing the leader of MECH with a solemn face. Maya took into account the entire battalion that stood behind him. Maya forced out a laugh. "Look, I have a feeling that Rikken is really breathing down your neck at the moment. I mean, you probably promised him that you would take us down, but three months later, we're still alive and still causing trouble for you and the Templars. It must be _really_ hard on that ego of yours."

There wasn't a single movement on Silas's face as she spoke. Or when he spoke. "You must be mistaking me with someone who gets angry quickly. Of course, you and your Brother's…. exploits have scared away all my investors and that's put quite a damper on my plans."

Maya pretended to take a moment to think. "That _was_ the plan, Silas. So, now that you've cornered me, alone and without backup, what are you going to do?"

"I think you know what, my dear."

Her eyes narrowed, her heart pounding as panic flittered through her.

In the back of her mind, she could hear the clock ticking down of her life.

 _This was it_ , she thought, _this is the end of the line_.

She smirked to herself, that momentary feeling of panic dissipating almost instantly. _But I ain't going out without a fight._

Out loud she said, "I like to see you try."


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

Eric sighed in frustration. "Where is she?"

"Does she normally do this?" Bulkhead asked. Eric gave a huffed laughter.

"You could say that." Eric answered as he turned to face the larger Autobot. "I try to keep her from running off when she gets angry. Normally, I'm successful in getting her to cool down wherever we're stationed at. But now…." He sighed again.

He seemed to doing that a lot lately.

"You must have your hands full with her." Bulkhead chuckled.

"You have no idea. But I understand where she's coming from." Eric lowered his head. "I've…...uh thought over what she said and have to admit that she's right. This war has caused too much death and destruction over worthless things."

Bulkhead looked like he was about to say something when the alarm went off. The dark-green mech quickly lumbered towards the monitor, while Eric leaned forward. He had heard stories of how Bulkhead's friend, Wheeljack, would contact them out of the blue and come visit them.

Maybe he was calling right now.

That hope, that thought, evaporated when Bulkhead pressed the button and, even before the large Autobot could open his mouth to speak, Maya's voice filtered through.

"Brother! I need your help!"

Eric's heart all but stopped when he heard the frightened tone in his sister's voice. And the gunfire.

"Sister? What's going on?"

"It's MECH! It's Silas! He and a brigade of soldiers followed me. They ambushed me! Brother, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I need help. I'm way over my head here!"

"It's going to be okay." Eric promised her. She was panicking and it was showing, something that Eric rarely, if ever, saw. He needed to keep her calm so that she wouldn't act out brashly. "Where are you? Can you send me coordinates?"

Maya's hyperventilating, something she didn't do, even in her first few years of being an Assassin. "I don't know! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going! Eric, please, help me! I'm scared. I don't want to die."

Eric's heart was pounding in his chest as he quickly launched himself from the railing and gracefully running towards his bike. "Hold on, Maya. I'm coming!" He directed his next words to Bulkhead. "See if you can trace the signal!"

Bulkhead's large fingers were surprisingly swift as he flew over the keyboard. He grunted in frustration, "I can't get a lock! Something's jamming the signal!"

"Eric." Maya's voice came in faint and static-y. Her next words that came through were indistinguishable, but Eric could've sworn that she said, "I'm sorry," before the transmission went out completely.

"No." Eric whispered, something in his heart strained horribly. Something in his heart told him that something was horribly wrong. "Bulkhead! Get that transmission back, now!"

"I'm trying!" The large mech shouted back. All the shouting must've drawn Ratchet from where he was hiding.

"What's going on here?" The medic demanded.

"We're trying to pin down where Sister is. She's in trouble!" Eric said. That seemed to spur Ratchet into action, shoving away Bulkhead and quickly trying to track the origin of the signal. All the commotion drew the attention of the rest of the Autobots. While Ratchet worked furiously, Eric and the Autobots prepared for battle.

The thirty-year-old nearly sagged in relief when Ratchet mentioned that he managed to track the signal down to a back road twenty miles outside of Jasper. The mech didn't waste any time activating the groundbridge and Eric didn't waste any time running as fast as he could through it. He hopped onto Arcee when she transformed into the motorcycle and came up beside him. His heart was pounding hard when the two exited the groundbridge and into a field that was covered with dead bodies.

Mostly MECH soldiers but still it had him staring.

He slowly removed himself from the seat, blinking at the carnage. His sister was indeed a fine warrior by herself, so he didn't even balk at the number of soldiers that was lying dead on the ground, but the fact that her motorcycle was laying all but destroyed and there was no sign of her anywhere was something that had him worried.

Eric sensed, rather than heard, the other Autobots coming through the groundbridge and heard Smokescreen gasp in shock.

"Spread out and search for Sister." Eric ordered, his eyes still staring forward. He added, morosely and almost hopelessly, "She's got to be here somewhere."

They all branched off and started the search. Despite himself, he hoped his sister was somewhere here. It would mean that she escaped MECH. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find her. And neither could the Autobots, even as they scanned for her underneath all of the carnage.

The only thing they could find is a bunch of dead MECH soldiers, evidence of Maya's rage and anger clear.

The group had stopped when it had reached the fourth hour. They had searched the entire field five times and a ten-mile radius.

Nothing.

Eric even tried to see if he could find any sign of his sister by looking for tracks.

Nothing.

The only evidence that he had of his sister being there were the stab wounds in the dead bodies and her destroyed motorcycle.

"I don't think she's here." Arcee announced uselessly.

"She's got to be."

"Look around, Brother. Nothing but dead bodies." Smokescreen chimed in.

"No. I refuse to believe that she's gone."

 **"Look!"** Bumblebee exclaimed.

Everyone glanced to where the mech was pointing. Among the dead soldiers, one person was still alive and moving. Eric had a feeling that the only reason this guy was alive was because Maya was probably taken before she could finish the kill and only knocked him out.

Eric, his blood boiling, marched forward. He heard the Autobots right behind him but he didn't care. Everything seemed to fade away as he angrily grabbed the soldier by the scruff of his neck, hauled him to the nearest tree and slammed him as hard as he could without exactly knocking him out or killing him. Half the man's mask was gone, so Eric could see the fear shimmering in the man's eyes. Eric encircled his hand around the man's throat, squeezing enough for him to know that he wasn't playing around.

"Where. Is. She?" Eric growled.

"Gone." The man choked. The defiant look in the man's eyes that replaced the fear was something that made Eric's blood boil even more. He tightened his grip.

"Where?"

"Some place you'll never find her."

Eric growled, baring his teeth and pulling out his gun. He stared at the man he had pinned to the tree and whispered lowly to him, "You've probably been hearing about how me and my sister have raided places from those who've survived. We were feeling a bit merciful when we raided those places. But let me tell you something bucko, I'm in a _really_ bad mood. So, you tell me where she or else."

The man just looked at him blankly before he whispered, "Go to Hell."

Eric finally snapped.

With barely a blink, he had sheathed his gun, drawn his Blade and ran it across the man's throat. He watched, calm and unblinking as the man gurgled on his own blood, slowly dying.

"Say hi to Satan for me." He muttered before turning around. He only took two steps before he collapsed on his knees. A sob escaped him as the possibility he had been dreading finally became reality.

She had been captured by MECH, by Silas himself.

And it was all his fault


	23. Chapter 22

**AN: Hello my lovelies! Since I am going to be SUPER busy tomororw, I'm going to go ahead and post this chapter. Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Buckle up buckeroos, these next few chapters are going to be one heck of a ride. *cue evil cackling***

Chapter 22

Eric sighed, barely holding his frustration in. His sister was always better with technology than he was.

But she was missing. Taken by MECH.

He sighed again, this time anger and frustration melting away to guilt. He shouldn't have said the things he said to Maya. Now, he may never get the chance to apologize to his sister.

 _No,_ he told himself as he typed in a couple of simple codes, _Maya is alive. She may be MECH's prisoner, but she's strong. She's been through the training. Maya will not betray the Brotherhood. All I've gotta do is find her._

"But I can't get this stupid thing to work!" Eric shouted as an error message popped up. Over by the main computers, Ratchet gave a questioning look as the raven-haired man stood and started to anxiously pace the catwalk.

Eric felt caged and anxious. Maya's tracker, no matter where she was, should've been working. But for some reason it wasn't. He tried to get Shaun to help him out but the man started to act…strange when Eric told him of Maya's disappearance. True, they both were a part of the Brotherhood and there was a sense of comradery among the members, but the way Shaun acted was far too overdramatic, even for him. He was so shaken up by the news that he couldn't even attempt to track Maya down.

Which meant Eric would have to wait for Raf to get here from school.

And there was nothing to distract him from his fear of what might be happening to his sister.

The only family that he had left that knew and understood what this life was like was gone.

Eric leaned over the guard rail; his jaw clenched as he tried to hold in his tears. He had lost so much, like everything else who had fought this war. Maya was his only lifeline left. The only thing keeping him from failing deep into his own mind, where hopelessness and despair reigned.

He couldn't afford to lose her too.

"Tough day?" Eric glanced up to see Arcee standing over him, hip cocked out and eyebrow raised in question.

He sighed, swallowing the sob that threatened to break through his voice. "I'm fine. Just worried about Sister."

"Don't worry. We'll find her." Eric was taken back slightly at the soft tone of concern that the femme held in her voice. It wasn't a tone Eric usually heard at all from the detached warrior. But he was thankful for the comfort.

Eric glanced down, trying to hid the way his normally emotionless grey eyes turned misty. He hoped, ever so desperately, that Arcee was right.

The day ticked by agonizingly slow. Eric kept himself occupied with tasks that he hoped would keep himself busy. But every five minutes he found himself glancing at the clock on the wall, counting down the seconds to when the bots who had human charges would go and pick them up. Around noon, when Eric's anxiety was reaching its peak, he felt himself tempted to go to the school and check the young boy out himself, but he didn't want to risk exposure all because he couldn't be patient.

But time was slowly ticking away.

And Maya might not have much time left. 

/|\ 

Maya sighed as she examined the Apple of Eden in front of her.

Such an important artefact in the hands of such an evil and malicious man.

She was thankful the Templars weren't too keen on sharing confidential information to outsiders. Silas had no idea what he unearthed. If he did, he would've unleashed holy hell on the world by now.

And she would've died on that field.

So, she had to keep playing. Keep pretending like she was slowly chipping away at the secrets this thing held.

Maya shook her head as she stood and paced the perimeter of her room. Even though she technically wasn't a prisoner, Maya preferred to stay in her room. She had informed those spies that worked for the Brotherhood that she hadn't betrayed the Assassins, she was only getting as close as she could to the Apple.

And with her extensive knowledge, it allowed her the closest anyone in the current century has gotten to an Apple of Eden.

Maya had a feeling that Eric was going out of his mind trying to find her. She had been 'missing' for about a week and a half. She had intentionally turned off her tracker like how she suspected her father had done and since Eric and the Autobots hadn't stormed the base yet, she guessed it had worked.

Of course, she still had a couple of things to do before she was finished.

Maya placed the Apple in her bag before leaving the room. She double checked to make sure that her hood was on before opening the door. The MECH soldiers who were in charge of protecting her from anything, like an assassination attempt, snapped to attention.

"It's fine, boys." Maya assured them. "Just going for a walk."

The MECH soldiers just watched her walk down the hall silently. Maya walked at a relaxed pace until she turned the corner.

Then she started to sprint.

She searched the entire compound until she came across the person she was looking for. He was in the computer terminal, the only person in the room.

Perfect.

He turned to her when she entered, his eyes scanning her with a predatorial gaze. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Maya's eyes glinted as she smirked. "I'm waiting for you to move your ass."

The man loyal to the Brotherhood smirked. "You were taking too long." He stood, stretching. "While you're doing your thing, I'm gonna go and gather those we've recruited and the spies."

"Make sure you disable all the alarms and weapons you can get your hands on. We need to give my allies as much as an advantage as we can."

"You got it." The man ran out of the room, leaving her to do her own thing.

Once she was the only one in the room, Maya cracked her knuckles, rolled her shoulders and got to work. 

/|\

"Man, this is some serious encrypted stuff!" Raf exclaimed as he worked his magic. Eric nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. We had…. uh _have_ to be careful with our information." Eric stated as he paced like a caged animal. The kids had gotten to the base about an hour ago, and Raf had been working on tracking down Maya ever since. Eric had to trust the younger boy, but since Raf was the only person that could help, Eric had allowed him access. So far, the boy had little luck, but at least he knew what he was doing which was more than Eric could claim.

Eric listened to the sounds of Raf typing away the computer, the boy pausing every so often to straighten his glasses. Then after what seemed like an eternity, the typing stopped and didn't continue.

Instead, a very timid, "Brother?" drew his attention.

"Yeah?"

"I think someone is trying to message you."

Brows knitted in confusion, Eric leaned over to look over the boy's shoulder. There indeed was a message coming through. And he recognized the send form the insignia that popped up.

The Eagle. A rogue Assassin that did his/her own thing but occasionally contacted the Brotherhood on information regarding the Templars and their allies. No one, aside from Mentor Miles, knew who the Eagle was.

And now, instead of contacting the mentor, the Eagle was contacting _him._

Once the encrypted message had fully come through, Raf quickly got to work decrypting it. Thankfully it didn't take long.

But it did make Eric's heart stop dead in his chest.

 _MECH IN POSSESSION OF APPLE OF EDEN. TRYING TO GET IT DECODED, BUT SO FAR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN STALLED. DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER CAN KEEP THIS UP BEFORE LEADER GETS SUPSICIOUS. RECOMMENDING PICKUP AT THESE COORDINATES ASAP._

Below the message was a string of numbers. The location of where MECH was hiding.

And where his sister was.

Eric turned to Optimus who had arrived in the common room earlier. The leader opened his mouth, probably to ask if he found something, but Eric beat him to the punch.

"I know where she is." 

/|\ 

Maya had just finished wiping the last of the computers in the terminal when he returned.

"Well?" She asked.

"Everything is all set." He said. "We've disabled the alarms in the northern, southern and western side of the base."

"What about the eastern side?"

He shook his head. "Too heavily guarded for us to be sneaky about it. We did get most of the heavy weaponry disabled. All except on the eastern side."

"Good." Maya glanced up at the clock. "We better get moving. Have your men move to the southern side of the base. When you hear shouting, find Brother and help him. It shouldn't be too hard. He's going to be the only human who will be storming the base."

She ran out of the room, completely missing the look of confusion on the man's face. She had other things to worry about.

Like trying to find Silas, and praying that tonight it would all end.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 

The base was silent as Eric, Optimus, Smokescreen and Bumblebee approached.

Ratchet had groundbridged them a couple miles away, allowing them the ability to sneak up to the base without alerting the enemy of their approach. Although, if Eric was being honest with himself, he expected the enemy base to be on more alert. As they approached the threshold of the compound, Eric braced himself for some guards, maybe an alarm or a booby trap.

But instead of a shrill alarm or bomb planted somewhere that would draw MECH soldiers to them like buzzards to a dead body, only silence greeted them.

While Smokescreen sighed in relief, Eric became more tense.

Were they expecting them? Were MECH soldiers hiding somewhere, waiting to ambush them? Eric's breath caught.

"Stay on your guard." Eric whispered to the Autobots. "We don't know what Silas is planning, or if he knows we're here."

The four of them spread out, but kept each other in sight. They crossed half of the main compound yard before a shout went up from the factory.

The sentinels had spotted them and had sounded the alarm.

Eric's heart was beating hard as he took cover behind a stack of crates. One of the many heavy artilleries that MECH had in its possession started to fire at them, but strangely, Eric didn't see any snipers or foot soldiers, yet.

Just the heavy artillery.

An idea came to Eric.

"Optimus!" He shouted over the fire. The Autobots had taken to hiding behind whatever they could find. The leader was to Eric's immediate right, doing the best he could to fit his massive body behind a much smaller stack of crates. When Eric shouted his name, brilliant blue optics turned towards him.

Pointing, Eric asked, "Can you get a clean shot of those weapons? If we can take'em out, then we can make it to the main building without much trouble!"

Optimus nodded before lifting up his servo, his hand shifting to a double barrel blaster. Eric sat back, trying to calm his heart while Optimus relayed his orders to Smokescreen and Bumblebee. A battle-cry rose up from the doors of the compound, and Eric knew they, or at the least he, was screwed.

At least one hundred MECH soldiers were heading their way. 

/|\ 

"SISTER!"

Maya whirled around to see one of the spies for the Brotherhood heading her way. Panic was written all over his features, causing Maya some stress.

"Silas…." The man panted, "He had a hidden spare weapons room!"

Maya blanched. "How many weapons were in the room?"

"A hundred or so." He said. The two started to walk as fast as they could toward the sound of battle. From the eastern side. "That and the fact hat the heavy artillery is still on that side, your allies won't stand a chance."

Maya wanted to say something optimistic ( _you don't know my friends)_ but it died on her tongue. This wasn't the time for witty comments or quips.

"Okay. Change of plan." Maya stated as she and the spy entered the side room as another group of soldiers ran by. "You and your men swing around the eastern side and try to cut the MECH soldiers off."

"Where are you going?"

Maya took a deep breath. "I'm going to find Silas."

"Uh-huh. And, what, exactly are you going to do to him?"

She froze at the door, despite the fact that there was a time limit. Her heart sank, knowing that her clock was ticking down and she only had mere minutes, possibly seconds left.

"Something I should've done when I got here."

She dashed out of the room, towards the end of the road for her. 

/|\ 

When Eric was just an Initiate, the first thing they taught him was always be ready.

Always be prepared for the unexpected.

Never let yourself be caught off guard if things don't go as planned.

But for some reason, Eric just couldn't adjust properly to the situation. He would later chalk it up to him thinking about his sister even when the second lesson they taught him was ' _keep your mind focused on the fight in front of you'_.

He battled as many MECH soldiers as he could at once, switching between his pistol and his Blade. But they just kept coming.

Optimus, Bumblebee and Smokescreen had taken out (knocked out to be precise) groups of soldiers, but the heavy artillery was focusing on them. Leaving Eric with the bulk of army.

Then something strange yet thankfully battle-changing happened.

When the compound doors opened, and another battalion ran out, Eric feared he might have to call a tactical retreat and try again. But that went out the of metaphorical window when heard the battle cry that went up from the charging battalion.

"FOR THE ASSASSINS!"

…What?

Eric was dumbstruck by the cry, but a little less than the MECH soldiers apparently. They were so distracted and confused that Eric was able to slide his Blade into four MECH soldiers before the shock wore off. Eric watched as the battalion he was fighting split in two, though more went to meet the new group that appeared.

When Eric had finished with the group of soldiers that had decided to attack him (it was all too easy), he ran forward to help those who fought for the Assassins. The Autobots had disappeared, probably trying to find a way to take out the heavy artillery.

"Brother?"

Eric whirled around, expecting to see a challenger, not an ally. Michael Long, a well-known spy and infiltrator among the Assassins. The two stared at each other blankly as the battle continued to rage around them.

Of course, that ended when a MECH soldier decided that he could sneak up on him.

That mistake was something that would never happen again, as Michael put several bullets in him.

"Good to see ya man." Michael exclaimed as he embraced Eric in a hug, as though they weren't in the middle of a life and death situation. Another MECH soldier tried to ram them, but Eric whirled around and plunged his Blade deep into the man's chest.

"Michael? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, same old, same old." The man said as he released a hail of bullets into a crowd of soldiers that seemed to be overtaking them. "Infiltration and whatnot. What about you? Sister said you guys have some new allies."

A guttural roar followed by a sound of explosions had the two men looking towards the heavy artillery. Optimus and his soldiers had climbed the scaffolding and had pulled the heavy artillery over the railing.

"Holy _shit_."

Eric smirked at his comrade's whispered declaration but it disappeared when he noticed an electrical current that traveled down the scaffolding. Optimus was the only Autobot that still clung to the railing, screaming and letting go when the current hit him.

Bumblebee and Smokescreen ran to help their leader up. Michael made to move but Eric remained rotted where he was, as his eyes wide in fear as Silas and two soldiers appeared, dragging Maya between them.

The soldiers placed Maya in front of Silas and the leader's voice cut through the battlefield.

"LOOKING FOR THIS BROTHER?"

Eric's heart stopped in his throat as he saw Silas produce a knife. He started to towards his sister but deep down he knew he would never make it.

A cry ripped through him when Silas plunged the knife deep into Maya's back.

 **AN: I am SOOOOO sorry about the late posting. School and whatnot, plus I don't have my laptop at the moment so...yea. Hope yall enjoyed it.**


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried. Silas pushed his sister over the railing but Bumblebee saved her from crashing into the ground.

The rest of the battle swept past him in a blur. Eric told Michael to take his forces and find a safehouse before running off, meeting Bumblebee and Smokescreen. A tactical retreat had been made by Optimus.

And, for once, Eric couldn't argue.

He easily slid into Bumblebee's back seat, cradling his sister as he tried to staunch the wound.

"Eric…..." Maya whispered.

"It's going to be okay, sis." Eric whispered back. He noticed his sister's eyes were closing so he had to gently shake her. "Hey! Don't do that to me. Stay with me."

"Sorry." Maya apologized, her speech becoming slurred. "Just…I'm so tired. I should've listened to you. I'm just a stupid dreamer."

"No, don't say that. I'm sorry….I never said that. Just hang on." Eric glanced out the window, sighing in relief when he recognized the base. Maybe one of the other bots must've called for a groundbridge. Bumblebee wasn't even parked before his door flew open and Eric leapt out. "JUNE! I NEED YOUR HELP NOW!"

Eric carried his sister up the stairs and placed her on the cot. Slipping off his outer jacket, Eric balled it up and placed it on the wound, trying and staunch the wound. There was a moment where he was thankful that he and his sister had a tightfitting ski mask underneath their hoods. But he dashed those thoughts out of his mind a moment later when he realized the teens were watching. He had to order Miko and Jack to take Raf out of the room as he and June worked as fast as they could to staunch the bleeding.

But it was all for naught.

Eric, while desperately trying to keep Maya from bleeding out, realized his Aunt had stopped working. He called for her to help him so they could get her to the hospital when they got the blood flow to stop, but hands smeared in blood resting over his stopped him. He glanced up, desperate to know why she had stopped him when he made eye contact with her and noticed her glistening eyes.

No…

A strangled cry got caught in his throat. He glanced over at his sister, her once fearless eyes were glassy and lifeless.

No. She couldn't be dead…

Anger flew through his veins, coloring his vision red. Eric pushed himself off the bed, pushing gaping sadness that threatened to take him down, sagging several large knives off the table and stalked down the stairs.

"Ratchet, open the groundbridge to the previous coordinates. Now."

His voice was _far_ too cold, even to his own ears.

"What are you going to do?" Arcee asked, defensively.

Eric's blood boiled. Pointing a knife over at the darkened groundbridge he explained, "I'm going after Silas."

"MECH has already cleaned out the place." Agent Fowler said, suddenly appearing from the elevator. But he stopped dead when he noticed his sister's all too still body. He was silent for a moment, blinking before asking "What _hell_ happened?"

Eric ignored the man's question completely, his anger and grief pouring through into each word, "Then I'll track that son of a bitch down to the ends of the earth if I have to. He's going to pay for what he did to my sister."

A tear rolled down his face. He couldn't let this go. This offense on his family must never go unpunished.

"Revenge is never the right pa-"

"Don't you give me that _bullshit_ Optimus!" Eric shouted at the Prime. "I have spent _too long_ going down the 'path of righteousness' but now I see how stupid and naïve that was. And at the cost of my sister, the only family I have left, and she's lying there. _Dead_ because of me."

Eric took a moment to catch his breath before speaking again.

"And maybe that's why you won't win your war with the Decepticons. Because you're weak." He was vaguely aware of the shocked gasps of the humans and the other Autobots. But he didn't care that he was practically slandering the name of a thirty-foot tall giant robot. "I bet you had multiple chances to kill Megatron and end the war. But you didn't take it because _you think this stupid, pointless war can be won by peace!"_

Eric collapsed onto his knees, anger leeching out of him and replaced by uncontrollable grief and sorrow. His sister had though the same, and if it wasn't for that argument- that stupid, stupid argument -then none of this would've happened.

Maya would still be alive.

This was all his fault.

The dam opened up, and he started sobbing.

He didn't care that he was in the middle of the floor.

He didn't care that he had placed himself where the Autobots might step on him.

He just wanted everything to end. The bloodshed. The death. Everything.

Suddenly, he felt two skinny but strong arms wrap around him comfortingly. He didn't have to glance up to know that it was Aunt June. He didn't care that he was thirty years old.

Eric leaned into his Aunt's shoulder and cried.

\\\\\\\

A couple of hours later, everyone was gathered at the very top of the base. Eric had created a pyre out of rocks and wood he found for his sister.

Maya would've liked the traditional funeral .

His sister, lifeless and all too still, lay wrapped in a bed sheet that she had passed away in. Eric swallowed thickly, keeping the sadness down that threatened to break him.

About twenty minutes after confirming his sister's death, Eric had rifled through the bag that had somehow stayed on Maya's back through all of this. Inside, he found her diary and an Apple of Eden. The ancient orb confirmed the theory that she was the Eagle, and even though he himself had never seen an Apple in person, it didn't surprise him.

The last entry in Maya's diary, however, did.

But his mind needed to be in the present.

"You have done your duty, Sister.' Eric said as he moved forward. The sun was setting now, turning the entire valley below them a reddish gold, a sight that his sister would've loved. "You have fought hard and bravely. I hope…." His voice caught, but he continued, "I hope that you find the peace that you truly deserve."

He took the torch that Agent Fowler held and moved to light the pyre.

When the flames leapt to life on the pyre, Eric muttered, "Requiescat in pace. Maya."

Even when the sun had set and the flames had died down to embers, only Eric remained. 

**AN: So if you guys want, you can leave a prompt with connections with this story. I'm compiling a collection of drabbles, one-shots and whatnot which I will post after I get this finished. Leave them in the reviews or send them to me via PM. Thanks you guys!**


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

His eyes were dull as he loosely clutched his sister's Blade in his hand. The smell of smoke from the funeral pyre still lingered in his nostrils. He didn't care that the base was too silent, as a situation had popped up that required all hands-on deck. All he could was stare blankly ahead, his vision blurred by tears as he thought about the 'what-ifs' that could now never be.

He should've listened to what his sister had to say. Shouldn't have shot her down so quickly.

Maybe then she wouldn't have thought infiltrating the enemy at the risk of her own life was the only way to get the artefact.

Almost half-forgotten, the Apple of Eden sat on a table.

It mocked him. The price to retrieve it was far too high.

Eric, all too late, finally saw what his sister saw. This war, this fight over meaningless trinkets was useless.

 _How many more children will become orphans?_ Maya had asked. Had demanded mere minutes before she left. The final argument he would never end.

Her final words, spoken in anger and desperation in hopes that he would see what she had seen.

But he didn't.

 _How many more children will wake up and find their parents murdered in their beds? How many will be groomed by both sides to be the perfect soldiers because they are driven by their need for revenge?!_

How many more lives will be lost for nothing?!

He took a staggering breath. Eric shifted until he had fished out his sister's wedding ring from his pocket.

Another secret she had kept for so long.

His mind went to the journal that belonged to his sister. The words, her thoughts, feelings and hopes for everything still lingered in his mind, especially the plea for him.

Eric closed his fist around the ring, the metal digging into his palm.

He had a job to do.

A new objective.

That night, under the cover of silence and darkness, Eric Philip Everton left Autobot Omega One Outpost.

He made sure to leave when most of the Autobots were either on patrol or their version of sleep when he loaded his motorcycle with the bare essentials. Eric left behind Maya's journal for Aunt June and Jack to find and to read should they wish it, and his cell. Even though his heart was torn in regards to leaving behind the one thing he had left of his sister, he knew it would be safe with the two of them.

He wouldn't be able to give any other type of goodbyes.

When he was finished strapping everything he would need, Eric paused before glancing back. Tears threatened to fall as he remembered the months spent here, now nothing more than shades of the past.

Eric sighed heavily before placing the helmet on his head and driving off into the night.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Epilogue

 **Excerpt of the last entry from the Diary of Maya Everton**

In war, there is always a price to pay. Always something to sacrifice.

In this war, I have chosen to pay this price, so that Eric doesn't have to. So that my husband, Shaun, doesn't have to. So that my daughter, Evangeline, doesn't have to.

I hold no delusions that I'll see her again. I head on this mission, my last one, in about two hours. And if I do everything right, then I will never walk away. If everything goes according to plan, then by the end of two weeks, the Assassins will hold all the cards. And I hope they finally see how wrong they are and strive to try to truly make this world better instead of using the Apple to overtake the Templars. I hope they will extend an olive branch of peace to the Templars in kindness. I hope that they will learn from history like I have.

To Evangeline, please know that I love you with all my heart. From the moment I found out that you were in my belly, growing, I knew that I would love you. That love grew a thousand-fold when you were placed on my chest moments after your birth and looked into your eyes. I knew, like any mother knows, that I would do anything to protect you. I knew that you would do things that I only dreamed of. After a discussion, your father and I agreed that you would be kept far from this war. Far from the bloodshed that has haunted my life and has torn my family apart.

To Eric, Jack and Aunt June, if you are reading this, know that I love you with every fiber of my being. Know that I sacrificed my life to keep you safe. To keep the last remaining members of our family alive to carry on the torch and to tell our story.

Eric, I need to you to be a leader in this quest for peace. I know you would rather throw yourself into Hell then to commit to peace but remember what I said. I'm tired of the violence breeding more violence. I'm tired of seeing children orphaned on both sides because we hate each other so much that we are willing to be our own destruction.

I want you to find and raise Evangeline. Until this war is over, Shaun and I both agreed that you would be the best to raise her until the fighting has stopped. Get to know the life you will preach. And to help our bloodline survive. We have placed her at a safe house. You know the place.

Think about Arno Dorian and Elise de la Serre, Eric. Think about all they could've accomplished if those who wished to pull them apart hadn't succeeded. We would've been at peace long ago if not for those who craved for violence and thirsted for blood.

I hope that a new era, with my sacrifice, will begin, an era of peace and true advancement of the human race.

My dance with death is over. I sign off for the last time, knowing that Death has finally come for me. I only pray that it will be enough.

P.S. Throughout my life, I always believed that Ecclesiastes 1:18 was true. 'He who increaseth in knowledge, increaseth in sorrow.' But I also know that, as it says in Ecclesiastes 2:13 'I saw that wisdom was better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.'

Good luck brother. May the eagle soar ever higher on wings of peace.

Nothing is true; Everything is permitted.

Signed, Maya Abigail Everton.

November 13th, 2012

 _The end…..?._


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